Go Ahead!
by Velocity-of-Light
Summary: after Grev The Bladebreakers regroup to defeat a team lead by someone who has threatened the BBA once before.But things don’t go as planned.People vanish,and strange things happen…CH.22!
1. Prologue

Hey, everyone, thanks for taking interest in my story, Go Ahead! This is my first Beyblade fic, but I tried hard to do a good job. R&R, but no flames accepted. If you have some suggestions, okay, but don't be real mean.

This story will have no yaoi whatsoever, and if you think I might be hinting it in a few places, I don't need to. I may include non-yaoi pairings later on in the story.

This is the prologue, enjoy!

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**Prologue **

The three members of the renowned Velocity of Light walked down the unlit hallway towards their Coach's office.

"Wonder why the Coach called an emergency meeting" the first voice asked himself.

"Oh, you'd better get used to it being on _this_ team, Garrett" the second person sighed.

"The Man isn't all that organized, G" added a third person. The second person frowned.

"Haven't I already asked you not to call me G?" he complained. His misfortune made the first person smile.

"Blaise gives everyone silly nicknames, so get used to it chum" the first person sniggered.

"I think The Man's gonna show us our other new team mate today" the third boy said hopefully. The first person took a deep sigh. Not because he didn't want to meet his new team mate, but because it reminded him of the team he had before.

Pedro, Blaise and Garrett had all been pulled out of their original teams to attend a special training school. There, they were taught advanced courses like math and science as well as Beyblading skills and techniques. Pedro was their best. He was put on a team with two other people, one of them being Blaise, and fought many battles together. But an unfortunate accident claimed the lives of his two other team mates a month ago. Garrett and another person they'd yet meet were their replacements. Garrett was a cool guy, but he'd never replace Pedro's original friends.

They finally reached the end of the hallway and entered the Coach's office. Just as they had expected, there was their boss with a young girl standing behind him in the corner of the small, dimly lit room.

"Good afternoon boys, it's about time you showed up" greeted the man. Pedro rolled his eyes. "As promised, I've found you another team mate. Her name's Raine Bentley. Raine, this is Velocity of Light". Raine didn't speak, she just waved shyly.

"I'll introduce you to your new partners. The shortest one with the silver hair and the thick gloves is Garrett. The one with the long blonde hair wearing the sleeveless jacket is Blaise. The tall guy with orange hair's Pedro, the leader. I expect that you'll all get along?" he explained. Pedro shrugged. He really didn't like his Coach.

"You all go begin your training, except Pedro, he stays here for a minute" ordered the Coach.

The boys re-traced their steps down the dark labyrinth of a hallway with Raine.

"I'll call you Mute, because ya don't say a lot" said Blaise before he broke out in laughter at his own stupid joke.

"You said that you needed to talk with me?" began Coach, relaxing in his chair. Pedro nodded.

"Pharoas, I don't want to enter in a BBA tournament for the sake of you!" Pedro yelled. The Coach laughed.

"After all these years, you still don't trust me?" Pharoas asked, with a mockery sad puppy face.

"What you did that got you in jail, long before you started this organization, Pharoas"

"Oh Pedro...I'm far beyond _that_ stage of my life, do you actually think I'd be able to plot something like that in my old age?"

"I know that you're only entering us in this tournament to plot something horrid against Stanley Dickinson and the BBA, I'm no fool!"

"If you still don't have faith in me, than I believe that you are. We're entering to win the glory of being champions, not to plot anything. I'm not using you"

Pedro opened his mouth to talk but decided against it. He turned his back on Coach Pharoas and left the office.

"Stanley...I've got a feeling that _I _won't be your worst fear this year...wait until _you_ see who's leading the Barbarians, the look on you face will be priceless"

The phone had been ringing off the hook all week long at the BBA headquarters, which was no surprise: the media wanted to schedule interviews; the travel agency that was arranging each team's flights were double-checking their plans and screaming fans wanted to buy tickets to the upcoming matches.

"Mr. Dickinson, we have for you a vitally important call from one of your contacts in Hawaii on line two" Mr. Dickinson's assistant called from the next room over.

"Hmm, hope its good news" he mumbled to himself. The old man picked up the phone.

"Mr. Dickinson, I'm afraid that we have some bad news" said the man on the other line (Shoot! he thought to himself).

Mr. Dickinson got comfortable, prepared for a very long talk.

"We've just had word that Pharoas will be leading one of the new teams that have entered in the BBA world championships. Also I need to warn you that there have been a number of large gangs forming in the city recently and..."

"WHAT? Horace, Pharoas just can't be allowed to enter in this tournament!"

"Mr. Dickinson please, just hear me out. If he was to boycott the tournament now, our entire schedule would be ruined. Besides, we've already sold tickets to their battles, almost completely sold out to be precise. His team has to battle in the tournament just as planned."

"But you know what happened last time! You were there, Horace, you witnessed the horror!"

"Calm down. I see no problem in letting Velocity of Light compete as long as they don't win the world title."

There was a very long silence on both ends of the conversation. Mr. Dickinson was completely baffled by this information. But there had to be a way around their troubles.

"Do you think that any of the other competing teams are absolutely sure to beat Velocity of Light, Mr. Dickinson?"

"...Horace, I'm afraid that I can't guarantee that. The PBB All Starz, White Tiger X, the Blitzkrieg Boys, Barthez Battalion, the Majestics and the BBA Revolution all did amazingly well in the last World Championships. I've heard that the other new teams are very good also. But I'm ashamed to say that none of them have the skill or power to beat a team composed by Pharoas!"

"Well...you could form a new team that _does_ have the power to beat Velocity of Light?" suggested Horace.

"You know, old chap that might just be the answer..." said Mr. Dickinson deep in thought.

"Think back to the tournament that took place three years ago. Think of the winners of that grand competition. They weren't eliminated once that year. Think of the support they had from the fans...do you think that you could re-assemble that team, Stanley?"

"I don't know...they've all applied with different teams already and I don't think they'd just turn their backs on them"

"If they don't agree to it, tell them the cause. Explain to them how powerful we expect from Pharoas' Beybladers. If all else fail...tell them what occurred the last time Pharoas was on top of the world, having all the glory and power, and how it could happen again."


	2. Emergency change of plans

Hiya everyone, here's the first chapter. Oh yeah, and the disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade. I do however own all the OCs. If you want to use one, ask me first. I'll probably say yes.

**Chapter 1: An emergency change of plans**

Max walked out the front door to get the mail like a zombie. He hadn't slept all night long; too busy thinking about the upcoming tourney. It had been a whole year since he'd visited his mom, Judy, and his team mates the PBB All Starz. And today was finally the day! He'd be boarding a plain to New York at 5:00. And in a month the games would begin...this was so awesome! But right now Max wasn't sure if he was more excited, or tired.

Max sent all the mail on the kitchen table. His dad left earlier to do some shopping so Max took the freedom to snoop through his mail. There was an envelope from the bank, a shopkeeper's magazine and...huh? A letter for him. Max opened it eagerly. It was a letter that read:

_Dear Max Tate,_

_I hope that school in Japan is going well for you. Summer was always my favorite; I never liked school much as a kid. Is But it has been I while that I've had a free summer, I'm always very busy._

"Sounds like Mr. D alright" Max said cheerfully and read on.

_I'm afraid that I must inform you of an unexpected event. A very notorious person by the name of Pharoas had entered a team in the next world tournament. The last time that man got on top, he caused terrible pain to many and nearly corrupted the sport of Beyblading itself. _

_As it stands now, none of the entrants, even your own team, have a chance of beating him. I know it may sound it bit unfair, but we cannot let his team, Velocity of Light, win this tournament! So I'm asking a serious favour to you and your old pals Tyson, Ray and Kai. I need you to re-form the Bladebreakers and enter in the tournament as a team. It sounds desperate but in truth, may be the BBA's only hope._

_Your friend, Mr. Stanley Dickinson._

Max dropped the letter in shock.

"He wants us to re-form our old team? Is he completely nuts? Those were great days, but I'm not going to ditch the All Starz just to take out some other team! That's just not fair!" Max exclaimed. He read the letter over and over again, and was just as surprised at what he was reading each time.

If Mr. Dickinson was so concerned about what this Pharoas guy might do, why wouldn't he just not let them enter in the tournament? The whole thing confused and angered Max.

Far in the north, Kai received the exact same letter.

"That idiot actually thinks that _I'm_ going to work for _him_?" he thought as he read the letter.

"What've you got there, Kai?" the familiar voice of Wyatt blasted in Kai's ear.

"Wyatt, have you ever heard of an indoor tone of voice!" yelled Kai louder than Wyatt did before.

"...Sorry, Kai" he apologized. Wyatt liked to hang out with Kai at school, and Kai tolerated him even though he was pretty annoying. He was a nice kid, after all.

"I just received a letter from Mr. Dickinson, and he wants me to join up with the Bladebreakers _again_" Answered Kai.

"Well, are you gonna?" Wyatt asked excitedly.

"Are you kidding? I've finally escaped the soul-torturing voice of Tyson around me 24/7 and I don't plan on _ever_ hearing it again" he joked. Wyatt laughed.

"The Blitzkrieg Boys are a powerful team. As their leader we can stop anybody" he bragged.

"Except the BBA revolution" added Wyatt.

Kai said nothing. He shot a mean glare at little Wyatt.

"...Sorry again Kai!" Wyatt apologized after he realized that he'd insulted Kai. To his surprise, Kai's glare suddenly turned into a smile.

"Yeah, you're right, Wyatt. Tyson did beat me. I lost against him with the Blitzkrieg Boys. They aren't the strongest team. There's someone tougher than them"

"You mean the BBA Revolution?" asked Wyatt.

"No Wyatt, Velocity of Light. According to Mr. Dickinson, they're even more powerful than the BBA Revolution. Now there's a worthy opponent. If I was to overcome those guys, I'd be on top, no questions asked."

"So you and the boys are gonna take them down?"

"If you mean the Blitzkrieg Boys, no. I'm finished with them. My Beyblading skills are past their level now. They were nothing but another step on the stairway to victory. It's time I climbed higher. Perhaps this crazy idea of Mr. Dickinson's is my free ticket to Velocity of Light"

Wyatt's face lit up. What he has never told Kai before was that he was a better Beyblader than people thought. If Kai wasn't going to enter with the Blitzkrieg Boys, he knew exactly who'd be taking his place...

Ray's letter was slightly different than the others, because Mr. Dickinson knew that he'd really have to talk Ray into this. So instead of telling him in the letter, he just invited him to lunch and planned to tell him then.

Ray entered the restaurant at 12:00 sharp, just as instructed. Mr. Dickinson was awaiting him at a table as planned. It was the small café in Hong Kong where Ray used to work part-time. He stopped working there after the first tournament, because he was too occupied with Beyblade after that.

"Perfect timing, Ray!" saluted Mr. Dickinson.

"Long time, no see, Mr. D!" said Ray.

They sat down and ate a good lunch, and had a nice chat with the owner of the restaurant. When they were finished, Mr. Dickinson began his long explanation.

"You know Ray, I wanted to meet with you for a reason. This is very important, so I want you to listen carefully".

"Oh oh, what's up?" Ray asked apprehensively.

"Well...there's a situation. A man called Pharoas is entering his team is Beybladers, Velocity of Light, in the next tournament. We need you to re-join the Bladebreakers or else he may win this tournament."

Ray just froze. No way, he thought. You're kidding, this is just a lie...

"He's...well he's a terrible person and only the Bladebreakers even have a chance at defeating a team assembled by him" he explained.

"You're...kidding, right Mr. D?" Ray asked. But Mr. Dickinson shook his head.

"You...want me to leave White Tiger X to defeat Velocity of Light in World Championships?" Mr. Dickinson nodded.

"I can't do that!" Ray yelled, banging his fists on the table. "I swore to Lee and the others that I'd _never_ betray them ever again! I swore it to them and they believed me! I'm never, ever going to ditch them ever again! I'm sorry, but I just can't join another team, Mr. Dickinson".

"Ray...I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this, but I guess I'll have to tell you about the past. I'll explain what happened last time" Mr. Dickinson declared.

"It was many, many years ago. Back before you were even born. But even though it happened such a long time ago, nobody will ever forget about Pharoas".


	3. The way it has to be

**Chapter 2:The way it has to be**

Mr. Dickinson began his explanation.

"The organization known as the BBA was just brand new. It was the first year that Beyblade was declared an official sport like soccer and hockey. Before that, Beyblades were used as weapons, as you know. But Beyblade's popularity grew enormously and soon, every kid owned one! That's why the Beyblade Battle Association formed. To organize tournaments."

"I already knew that" mumbled Ray.

"Everyone wanted to enter to become the very first Beyblade World Champion. I remember the top five teams...The Thrashers, Spiral Galaxy, Kaolin, Cosmology and the Extreme Bladers. Spiral Galaxy were athletic teens who focused mainly on collecting data to find their foes' weaknesses. They'd sometimes get ahead of themselves, though, and people would catch them off guard. The members of Cosmology had been through a lot of challenges already, since their country was at war. They used sheer power that could prevail against almost any other type of strategy. That was until Kaolin put them in their place. There was one member of Kaolin who had the fastest Blade I've ever seen in my entire life, even to this day. Cosmology couldn't even catch him. But the biggest rivalry of all were The Thrashers and The Extreme Bladers."

Ray tried to listen intensively, but something bothered him.

"Where have I heard the name Kaolin before?"

"I was in the audience when it happened. A fight between those two teams. Everyone knew that it was going to be intense, but nobody expected that somebody would end up being..."

"Killed? Somebody was killed? In a Beybattle!?" Ray exclaimed. Mr. D nodded.

"Jed from the Thrashers against Felix from the Ex Bladers. The fight began like any other battle, but things started to get strange. Felix placed his index fingers on his forehead and began moving his lips like he was talking, but he didn't make a sound. The next thing that happened was Jed was suddenly unable to stand up. He screamed, clutching his head, and then dropped to the floor. As his team mates ran to help him, Felix's Beyblade started floating in thin air. It was just floating there spinning. Then it glowed a blood red colour and the next then anyone could see was Jed's blade completely shattered to a million pieces."

Mr. Dickinson stopped for a deep breath. It was obviously hard to retell an event like this.

"Jed...didn't live through that night. The medics had absolutely no idea what had happened to him, so they couldn't blame Felix. But the judges lashed back in their own way, kicking his team out of the tournament. And that made Felix mad. They crushed his dreams of being a champion. They'd put a torch to the lush imaginary place in his mind where everyone knew his name. Felix revolted by literally putting a torch to their pride, the BBA. He marched into the middle of the stadium during, held his blade high up in the air and did that weird thing again. His blade glowed again, this time with a totally different intention. He released his Bit-Beast from the blade, without saying a word or moving an inch.

"We all remember his words, 'Thermolysis! They...we can't let them get in our way to the top! Show them why we're the ones who should be the Champions, Thermolysis!' The Raging creature that he called Thermolysis emerged from the blade in a shot of white flame. It circled the building thrice before blasting white flame towards a side of the audience. Then the ceiling caught on fire just from Thermolysis flying near it. The BBA Tower was destroyed. So many innocent Beyblade fans were lost. It was such a tragedy that the governments tried to erase it from history. That's why nobody's told you about it before, especially considering you're a Beyblader."

This couldn't have happened. It just didn't seem plausible to Ray. A child able to release the Bit Beast from his blade without even launching it? Ray knew that it was an impossible feat, but somehow he believed it. Mr. Dickinson wouldn't make up something as horrible as that just to get him on his team. It just had to be true.

"They put Felix in a private prison. Mental therapists tried to figure out how he could've been doing when he placed the index fingers on his forehead and mouthed those untranslatable words. They never solved that mystery. Or why he did what he did. They assumed that it was raw anger, the kind children have when they don't get what they want. The reason I'm so upset about that person named Pharoas is completely confidential, and I trust you won't tell anybody. When he was imprisoned, he never wanted the therapists, doctors and other people helping him to call him Felix. Always Pharoas. When he was released from prison, he started a Training School for Beybladers. Now's he's entering the team he's complied in this tournament. I was too afraid to refuse his entry when I heard about it...after what happened. So all we can do is make sure that Velocity of Light doesn't win this tournament."

"White Tiger X can do it, no problem Mr. D!" assured Ray.

"...Actually...I don't want to offend you, but you can't, Ray. Not without more powerful team mates" Objected Mr. Dickinson. That got Ray extremely upset again.

"How could you say that! My friends are really strong, even more so than the last time you saw them in action! I'm perfectly fine with them..." But then he thought twice. Were White Tiger X really that powerful anymore? Granted, they're all Master Beybladers, but it did seem like it was Ray who had led them as far as they'd got last time. Losing didn't bother them as long as they enjoyed themselves...but if fighting Pharoas' team was a matter of life and death, could he really depend on Lee, Mariah, Gary and Kevin to pull through?

"That's right, Ray, think about it. I'm not going to force you to join up with your old team mates" Mr. Dickinson finished before getting up and leaving Ray to himself. He had a _lot_ of thinking to do.

Tyson grabbed his letter on the way out the door. How many times was he going to be late for school his lifetime? He'd already beaten last year's record, topping 62 late days. His homeroom teacher said that if he was late one more time, Tyson would have to stay in school an hour later than everyone else for the rest of the year.

"Dang...it...I thought that today...was Saturday!" he complained as he bolted towards the school. He almost ran into some lady, didn't stop him. Then he ran across a crosswalk without checking to see if it was a red light and was inches away from being hit by a car. Didn't stop him. Finally he caught his left foot on a fire hydrant. That put him to the ground. He crashed to the sidewalk, hitting his head on the sidewalk. Tyson yelped in pain. A couple of guys helped him up.

"Thanks guys, no time to chat here!" he blurted as fast as he could, then returned to his marathon.

Arrived at the school with only half a minute to spare, tripped halfway up the stairs without even noticing his bleeding forehead and dashed down the hall...why did his classroom have to be at the end of the hallway? He finally got there in time. The teacher was just about to shut the door.

"Ha...I made it, in your face Mr. Corel!" Tyson panted. The teacher smiled.

"I'm glad I don't have to see you every evening as well as every morning, but that was a close one Mr. Granger" said his teacher. Tyson trudged up to his desk and fell onto his chair.

"You're pretty darn lucky, Tyson" whispered his good friend Kenny. Kenny was the smartest kid around. He'd be in a school for the gifted if only his parents could afford it. Apparently, this tournament had more on the line that the Championship Title: The winning team would have a new stadium named after them and would receive a cash prize of two million dollars, which was a lot for Beyblading teenagers. Kenny planned on fighting with the BBA Revolution again in hopes of winning some of that doe.

"You were only six seconds away from being late, Tyson" Hilary nagged.

"Hey, I made it her in time for once so don't go spoiling it for me!" Tyson barked. Hilary nagged a lot. She was not a Beyblader nor very helpful, so Tyson often wondered why he let her hang out with his team. But she's always there when you're feeling down; at least she's good for something.

"Chief, could you distract Mr. Corel for a moment for me?"Tyson whispered. Kenny didn't bother asking why but did it anyhow.

"Mr. Corel, could you explain in detail the geostationary condition of the world again?" Kenny raised his hand and asked. The teacher began explaining the complicated geology that only Kenny understood. A couple of kids glared at him.

Meanwhile, Tyson took the time to read his letter. He was very surprised to see that it was from Mr. Dickinson. The letter explained everything about Pharoas entering in the tournament, and what happened last time and how important this assignment was.

"You have to be kidding!" Tyson yelled. The entire class fell silent and turned to Tyson. A couple of the boys laughed. Hilary shook her head in embarrassment.

"Really Tyson, you think that the disappearing rainforests are that interesting?" asked the disgruntled teacher. Tyson's face went red.

"Then perhaps you'd like to write a six-page report on it" suggested Mr. Corel.

"I can't believe I have to write a six page essay on rainforests..." Tyson sulked.

"Oh quit feeling sorry for yourself, it's not my fault that you just can't resist opening your big mouth!" Hilary barked.

"So what was the reason you yelled anyway, or were you really intrigued by the rainforests?" asked Kenny.

"It's just some letter I received from Mr. Dickinson. He's asking Max, Ray, Kai and I to re-group and enter in the Championships as a team, no big deal." Kenny stopped dead.

"Tyson that _is _a big deal!" Kenny yelled, making many heads turn on the streets.

"So that mean that the BBA Revolution is no more?" asked Hilary who was less concerned about this than Kenny.

"Yeah, that is if the other guys agree. It sounds like the Revolution ended as quickly as it started" said Tyson. He looked up at the clouds and thought back to the events of last tournament. It was truly the best one yet; not only did he do amazingly well in the end, but he met a new pal, Daichi, and was reunited with his older brother Hiro.

The Chief was still pretty confused even after Tyson had explained it, so he reluctantly let him and Hilary see the letter for themselves. After being informed and Pharoas, they understood that this is what had to be done, and that the tournament in Hawaii was going to be the most challenging one they'd faced yet.

The decision was the toughest one he'd probably ever have to make. It took him enough to convince himself that this was the right thing...how the heck was he going to tell the rest of White Tiger X?

It was already dark when Ray arrived back to the village, and he assumed that everyone would be in bed. To his surprise, two of his friends were waiting for him at his cabin. Lee and Gary.

"Welcome back Ray, how was lunch? Tell me later, we have to talk" Lee greeted.

"Shoot, did he already find out?" Ray thought.

"It's about tomorrow, Ray" Gary added.

"Did you finish Mariah's birthday gift?" asked Lee. Ray took a sigh of relief.

"If you mean the necklace, yep, it's done" Ray replied, relieved. Lee raised an eyebrow.

"Ray, is something wrong?" he asked.

"No...well...I guess you could say that" Ray confessed.

"Then just tell us all about it, pal" Gary comforted. Those guys were so nice, Ray thought, they'd surely understand.

"I can't enter this tournament with you guys. I have to compete against you guys. It's really important, but I can't tell you why because it's classified..."

"You're WHAT!" Gary exclaimed angrily.

"Don't get upset! You don't understand..."

"Ray! You're betraying us! _Again_!" Lee yelled at the top of his lungs, as if to purposely let the whole world hear.

"Lee, keep it down; I don't want..." Ray whispered, but was interrupted.

"I can't believe that you're doing this to us again!" yelled Gary. Now he looked as if he wanted to knock the lights out of Ray.

"I guess we're just to weak for you, aren't we Ray? I bet you're going to join up with your Bladebreaker buddies so Tyson can lead you to victory again!" Lee insulted. His eyes were watering, his whole body trembled with rage.

That's it. Now Lee was starting to be a jerk. If he wasn't going to listen, then Ray would just have to go along with his game.

"That's right, you guys aren't good enough for me! Maybe if I join up with someone else, I'll actually have a chance at victory. I was better off with the Bladebreakers last time, and I'll be better off with them now!" Ray yelled back to Lee.

Gary had got enough. He took a swing at Ray's head. He ducked and dodged it, kicking Gary in the ankle. While he was low, Lee punched him hard on the back. The blow knocked the wind out of Ray. He lay on the ground, stunned.

"Don't you ever insult White Tiger X like that again!" Lee barked. He put one foot on Ray's back, not really to keep him down but to show pride.

"This is gone worse than planned...I have to choice but to go out with a bang..." Ray mumbled.

Ray dashed forwards on all fours. He leaped, planted his feet on the wall of the cabin, then lunged forwards, all in a few seconds. He pounced on Lee, sending him to the ground with ease, then ran in the opposite direction, still down on all fours. He didn't even hesitate, didn't say goodbye, just ran out the village gates as fast as he possibly could.

"Sorry guys, but this is just the way it has to be." he called back, but doubted anyone would hear him.

Why hadn't they just let him explain? Everything would've been fine, White Tiger X would still be his friends. He swore that he'd never betray them again, but this wasn't betrayal, this was for their good to!


	4. Welcome to Paradise!

**Chapter 3:Welcome to Paradise!**

The day was finally here.

Tyson impatiently awaited his friends in the Hawaiian airport. They'd been waiting for well over two hours now. Kenny had busied himself in a book and Hilary was asleep.

"Mr. Dickinson said they'd be here by now!" Tyson complained.

Right on cue, the All Starz stormed into the waiting room, Max leading the way.

"Did ya sleep in this morning, Max, you're so late!" Tyson laughed, running to his friend.

Kenny smiled at the arrival of Max. For a moment he wondered why the PBB All-Starz weren't carrying any luggage, and then Rick walked in, many meters behind them with about five bags in his arms.

"Come on you lazy guys, can't you carry your own luggage?" Rick yelled. His team mates ignored his complaint.

"It's good to see you again, Tyson!" said Max, shaking Tyson's hand. Then they got into a conversation about their plain flights.

The next person to arrive was Ray. Hilary, who'd woken up at the arrival of Max, wondered why he hadn't arrived with White Tiger X. Ray explained to her.

"They...are pretty upset with me right now. They didn't take me leaving very well at all. I probably won't be socializing with them very much during this tournament. And Lee had every right to be angry with me...I swore allegiance to White Tiger X and now I've broken that allegiance. I tried to tell Gary and Lee why I was leaving, but they wouldn't listen. I lost control and said some things I didn't mean" Ray's expression turned from calm to completely miserable.

"They'll...never, ever forgive me"

During his explanation two other teams had arrived, the Majestics from Europe and the Barthez Battalion.

"I can't wait to meet some Hawaiian babes..." Enrique said anxiously. Oliver was puzzled.

"But I thought you already had two girlfriends, Bianca _and_ Rosetta?" Oliver asked.

"Well they aren't here right now, are they Oliver? There's nothing wrong with hanging out amongst other girls as long as they never find out" Enrique explained. Robert shook his head in shame. That guy just doesn't understand the word commitment.

The large room was quickly filling up with different teams and many, many fans. Tyson was busy signing autographs. Max was chatting with a team that nobody knew, but he seemed to be having a very interesting conversation. Ray was trying to avoid everyone else's attention, especially the media. Ray really hated being on live TV. Kai meanwhile had entered without anyone else noticing. He was just waiting to see who Boris had found as his replacement. Knowing him, Kai was in for a good laugh.

"What did you say your name was, little guy?" Max asked the young boy that he was talking with.

"The wee one's name is Quinlan" answered the taller boy who spoke with a neat accent.

"I got to ride a plane for the first time!" Quinlan repeated over and over, hopping up and down.

"Wow, he sure is excited!" laughed Max.

"Well the coach just had to bring him with us" said another boy.

"Quinlan isn't the only guest the Sarge brought along" pointed out the accent kid. He pointed over the other end of the room. A toughly built man was pushing a pet carrier in their direction.

"Who's ready for a Fiasco!" he yelled, swinging the cage door open. A black and tan dog leaped out of the carrier and ran towards the team. It caught the attention of nearly everyone in the room.

"Good doggy!" Quinlan cheered. The animal jumped up on him and licked his face. The man pulled the dog off of him.

"You guys brought a_ dog_ to the Beyblade World Championships?" Max asked curiously.

"I guess you could say that he's our mascot. His name's Fiasco" the man explained.

"That's neat; by the way, I'm Max" Max introduced himself. The man was taken aback.

"You're Max Tate?" he asked. Max nodded.

"The lad from the All Starz, Sarge" the accent boy verified.

"Actually, I'm with the Bladebreakers this time" corrected Max.

"It's quite an honour to meet you, Max!" the man said, reaching his hand out to shake Max's.

"I be named Patrick, the other two lads are Cam and Hunter, and Sarge as we be call'n him is our coach" explained the boy with the accent, Patrick.

"It's cool to meet all of you guys. Hey Tyson, come here for a second; I want you to meet someone!" Max called over to Tyson who was still busy with the autograph signing.

"Just a minute Max!" Tyson yelled back, but Max didn't really hear him.

"So that guy over there's Tyson Granger" Sarge said, as if he was mentally writing it down.

Ray was in the opposite corner of the room to Max. It looked like everyone had arrived except White Tiger X, but he knew that they were taking a later flight than him. He scanned the area with his golden, catlike eyes for new arrivals every once in a while, then went back to doing nothing.

"Jim, are you sure you have your entire luggage? You should always double-check just in case"

"Would you get off my back, Salima? I'm not a little baby"

"She has a point...where's your backpack?"

"It's right...oh shoot! I must've left it back on the plane! WAIT! I need my luggage!"

"Hahaha! Run Jimmy, run like the wind!"

"Well that's why you should always double check"

"At least his blade is in his pocket, so we know he has that"

"That's right Kane. And I have mine right here"

Salima held her new Beyblade out. That's right, _they_ arrived as well.

Kane looked around the huge room.

"Look at everybody...are all these people Beybladers and their fans?" Kane said in awe.

"That's right Kane, all these people are going to watch us fight our way to victory" answered Salima in her normally positive tone. She ran her fingers through her flame red hair.

"That's...a bit unnerving" Kane admitted.

"You shouldn't be nervous at all, this isn't a huge deal!" said Goki.

Jim stumbled back to his team mates with his backpack swung over his shoulder. It was then that Ray noticed them being there.

"Is that...team Psykick?" he asked himself. It was! Ray ran excitedly over to Kane, Jim, Salima and Goki.

"Hey guys!" he called.

"Huh? Ray! It's you!" Salima said excitedly.

The whole team turned around and sure it was, Ray of the Bladebreakers.

"It's awesome to see you guys! I didn't know that you were still a team!"

"Well after the incident about a year ago with Dr. B, we broke up. But all the battles from the last tournament made us want to re-group; now we're entering this tournament as the Eon Bladers!" Salima explained.

"It's really cool to see you guys again!" said Ray.

White Tiger X arrived. None of them looked all that thrilled, especially Mariah. They looked around the crowded room. Hilary had given up trying to pull Tyson away from his fans so she went over to greet them.

"Welcome to paradise, White Tiger X!" she greeted.

"Oh...hi Hilary" Mariah replied. She faked a smile, but Hilary could tell that she was down in the dumps. All of White Tiger X seemed like that except Kevin.

"I'm going to...explore for a little while!" Kevin announced and ran off.

"We haven't even checked into the hotel yet!" Lee called and gave chase to him. Gary shrugged and followed him, carrying all of his team's stuff.

"So...where's...oh never mind" Mariah began before sluggishly following her friends.

"Ray? He's over there" Hilary pointed over to where the Eon Bladers were standing. They were laughing at something, particularly Salima and Ray. Then Ray added to the joke and Salima rolled on the floor laughing her head off.

"Those two sure get alone well" Hilary commented before returning to bossing Tyson around.

"Hilary you're not very good at making people feel better" Mariah sneered, then went back to feeling sad and walked away.

The Blitzkrieg Boys came long after everyone else. Finally, thought Kai. He looked for their replacement. There was Tala obviously; Spencer and Brian were still there and...WHAT THE HECK?

Tala had a backpack in his arms, and then he threw it to Spencer, then to Brian, then back to Spencer. It was a game of keep-away. And who was chasing them around but little Wyatt.

"Guys, give it back! It's not funny anymore, just give it!" Wyatt cried. He ran over to Spencer but his belongings were thrown to Tala moments before he could reach him.

"Boris, what the heck were you thinking...?" Kai demanded. "Why did you put Wyatt with the Blitzkrieg Boys? How did you get your hands on the kid anyway? Wyatt isn't even a half decent Beyblader"

It was a mystery but Kai decided to remain passive about it. There was nothing he could do to help.

Max yelled to Kai from across the room. "Hey Kai! Someone wants to meet you! Come here for a minute!"

Kai ignored Max's request.

"Sorry, I guess he's not coming" Max apologized to his new friends.

"S'okay, Max" Quinlan said. The others nodded. Besides, Max had already managed to pull Tyson and Ray away from what they were doing to meet them.

The afternoon was turning into dusk by the time everyone left the airport. They had some free time to do whatever they wanted, because nobody had to be at the BBA Tower until 7:00 for an opening feast. Most of the Bladers hit the beach. The weather the following day had been spectacular, so the ocean waters weren't very cold at all.

"You've got to come in here, the water is amazing!" Max called to Kenny from the water. While he looked away, Tyson splashed him in the face.

"I told you to get out of the water, guys!" Kenny said extremely nervously, pointing towards a sign that was planted on the beach. There was some graffiti but you could tell that it clearly read: "WARNING: THIS BEACH IS UNSUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES. BE CAUTOUS OF WAVES AND SHARKS"

"Are you afraid of the sharks, Chief?" Tyson teased.

"Da dum...da dum..." Max began to hum the theme from Jaws.

"That's really not funny guys!" Kenny whined.


	5. The rules and vengeful coaches

Hiya. What a stormy day it is here in Ontario..hope the weather is better where you are! (Yeah I know this has nothing to do woth anything) I don't own Beyblade or Hawaii...I just own the OCs. Enjoy....

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**The rules and the vengeful coaches**

"There sure are a lot of people getting married here" Goki commented. He and his team mates were just browsing through the city. It was true; there were a lot of young couples hanging about.

"Well, Hawaii _is_ the marriage capital of the world" Jim said.

"Then I wonder why they're having the tournament here?" asked Kane.

"Well BBA Tower II is situated here, and there are a lot of tourists" Jim answered.

Kane continued his long array of questions. "I wonder what happened to the first BBA Tower?"

This one stumped even Jim. "Maybe it was sold to another company or something" he suggested.

There were many small shops and clubs that lined the streets. Every block or two, little kids were having Beybattles. Noticeably, many of them were wearing blue hooded jackets that hid their faces.

"Before you ask about the hoods, I'll explain it to you" Jim began. "I did a bit of research before we came here. Locals buy these outfits so that they can remain anonymous when they battle"

"Why would you..." Kane began.

"Because kids want to avoid coming after them I guess. Not just challengers, but Talent Scouts too. Not everyone wants to be known around the globe, even the very powerful."

Salima was watching two hooded kids fight. One was completely dominate over the other. The purple blade continuously smashed the other one into the wall of a nearby building with such precision that it flew back into the stadium each time. Small pieces broke off the blade each time.

"Quit doing that you cheater!" the other kid complained.

"It's not cheating, it's called skill!" the other said. The losing kid's Beyblade hit the wall once more, and then the blade broke into a million pieces.

"You ruined it, cheater!" he cried as he went to pick up as many shards of his beloved blade as he could. But there was no doubt that it would never spin again.

"Anyone else who wants to challenge the best blader in the world?" the winner asked in a very cocky tone.

"You've already beaten all of us!" a girl cried.

Salima whispered to her leader. "Kane, do you think that's really fair?" she asked.

"I can take a hint, Salima. If you want me to beat that one guy just because the other kids lost, sorry" he turned down.

"I'll show him up!" Jim offered.

The tough kid turned to him. "So somebody else is _finally_ ready to lose? About time, I was almost going to check into my hotel. I'm pretty impatient"

Jim muttered something rude under his breath as he prepared his blade. This one was the best one he'd acquired yet. It was a bright orange colour with gold stickers and base. Kane sighed.

"3...2...1...Let it Rip!" the kids yelled. Jim launched his blade. The hood purposely launched his several seconds after.

Within only a few seconds of the battle, Jim went on the attack. But each time his blade came close to his opponent's, it dodged it. The purple Beyblade was incredibly fast.

"Quit running away, you baby!" Jim yelled in frustration. The hood laughed.

"You're wasting spin power trying to catch him, just play this one defensively!" Kane ordered. Jim took his advice. The blade slowed down and balanced in one spot.

"You're _already_ defending? You're _quite_ brave" the hood said sarcastically.

But the quick-talker's blade couldn't do much damage to Jim's while it was defending. It was built for situations like this.

"Spiral Burn!" he commanded. Immediately, his blade began doing laps around and around the stadium, each time with rising speed. It started going to fast that all you could see was a blur. The little kids awed.

"What are you trying to pull off just spinning around like that?" Jim asked. But he found out the hard way. The entire area that the blade was circling suddenly broke out in a spiral of flames, engulfing his blade.

"Oh my gosh!" Salima exclaimed.

The orange Beyblade was carried high up into the twister of flames. A monkey-like figure appeared at the top. It bored it's fangs into the blade, followed by an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Jim's blade was lying on the ground, as scorched as charcoal.

"I can't...believe this!" Jim exclaimed. Everyone was in complete shock. Even the challenger.

"Hey I actually pulled it off! My training's done!" he picked up his purple Beyblade and was on his way.

The person most awed was Kane. he be beaten so easily?" he yelled. "HOW!"

"Do...you kids have any idea who that boy was?" Salima asked the children.

"Nah, just some tourist" a girl replied.

"After all your training...he beat you just like that!" Kane was still angry, but not at Jim, it seemed as if he was angrier with himself.

"I'm so sorry guys, I just couldn't do it!" Jim cried.

"Maybe that guy was an expert, a champion or something" Goki suggested.

"No, he's not" said another voice. Team Eon Bladers looked behind the group of kids. It was Kai.

"That kid's an amateur. He's absolutely nothing compared to the other entrants"

"Kai you liar, that kid has to be a professional!" Kane screamed very loudly. People on the streets stared at him.

Kai shook his head. "I'll warn you ahead of time; if that Beyblader was too powerful for you to handle, I suggest that you boycott the tournament before your blades are completely destroyed" Kane had no comment.

"Oh and by the way, it's 7:00 in a half hour, so I'd get to the BBA Tower before the media does" Then Kai left the scene.

Beybladers began to enter the Tower. Lee waited outside for his missing team mate, who arrived in the nick of time.

"Where the heck did you go, Kevin?" Lee demanded from him.

"When I left the airport, I went exploring and found some good shortcuts around town" Kevin explained without hesitating.

"Better find a faster shortcut to use next time or you'll be even later!" Lee yelled at him. Kevin ignored him completely and entered the tower.

Everyone had arrived on time. They sat down at the large table together, Mr. Dickinson at one end and a man nobody knew at the other. The seating arrangement placed all the members of one team together, excluding the coaches who sat near the end of the table with the unknown man. For some reason, there were 8 empty seats. The coaches where Hiro, Judy, Tao, Sarge, Boris and Pharoas. Mr. Dickinson began his speech.

"First of all, I'd like to welcome everybody to this year's BBA World Championships Tournament! I'm very glad that we've continued to hold these competitions year after year, and still have as many people as we do participate"

Suddenly, the doors to the hall opened. The Eon Bladers, led by Salima for some reason, entered and sat down at their seats.

"I'm sorry to say that Kane won't be showing up tonight" Salima explained. "He's not feeling that great, but assures you that he'll be competing anyways. Just not tonight".

Mr. Dickinson nodded. One of his assistants took away Kane's empty chair. Then he began again

"How unfortunate. Anyways, I should explain this year's rules before we eat. Each match will not consist of only three rounds; it depends. The first round will be fought by one member of each team unless otherwise stated, and the winner's team will receive a point. The second match will have 2 new bladers, and again the winner's team will get a point. If there's need for a third round, again, 2 different bladers will fight. The fist team to win 2 points is declared the winner. If it's still a tie after three rounds, which is very unlikely, the fourth blader from each team will fight until someone wins a point. Is that clear to everyone?"

Most people nodded. Except the Sarge. He spoke up.

"So what exactly do you call 'winning' a round?"

"There are three ways: If a blade leaves the stadium, stops spinning, or is destroyed, the match is over" Mr. Dickinson answered, giving Sarge a strange look. He'd seen that guy somewhere before, but never with anything to do with Beyblading.

The little boy Quinlan spoke up too. "What if there's no fourth Beyblader? Then do both teams lose?"

"That's a tough decision...I guess in that case the judges would decide" Mr. D answered with the same perplexed feeling about this boy.

"That hardly seems fair, what if a judge has certain 'preferences'?" Sarge suggested.

"What do you mean by preferences?" he asked.

"I mean that since the Bladebreakers are sponsored by the BBA that they'd prefer them to better another team, whether they deserve it or not" Sarge said.

"...That's untrue, sir" Mr. Dickinson answered hesitantly.

Sarge continued to oppose him. "I've met your judges...I know how their minds work!"

"I'm sure that's a lie!" Mr. Dickinson countered. But Sarge knew better.

"Sid, Constance, Dwight, Sonny and Berk are their names. Sid and Sonny are the only ones who actually judge fairly. Dwight and Constance except bribes from the coaches. And Berk has no idea what he's doing"

Mr. Dickinson didn't respond. Silence, just silence filled the room. Then Hiro, who had agreed to coach the Bladebreakers, spoke up.

"What is your disregard to the rules?" he yelled.

"I don't have a disregard for the rules, I just know a bit more about the BBA than you do" Sarge answered in an honest tone.

"Yep, he does know much more than you do" Sensei Tao agreed.

"I doubt that very much" Judy opposed.

"How can you be sure he's wrong?" Quinlan asked innocently.

"I don't know exactly..." Judy began, interrupted by Sarge.

"Sorry miss, but what you don't know could fill the Mariana's Trench"

"I beg your pardon!" Judy yelled.

"Don't start, Judy!" Emily said.

"If you _do _know so much about the BBA, then why don't you tell us _how_ got all this classified information of yours?" Hiro demanded, not really expecting a response.

"I'd tell you why but it would get my dad in _big_ fiscal trouble!" Sarge answered.

"There you go-he's making up stupid excuses!" Hiro accused.

"Maybe he's telling the truth...doesn't sound like something somebody would make up" Judy said.

"How can we trust this guy if we don't even know him?" Hiro objected. Hiro and Judy soon broke out in a huge argument.

While everyone was focused on getting them to stop, Tao had some good questions of his own.

"So pal, _who's your daddy_?" he asked Sarge. Quinlan laughed a bit, because the question rarely meant that anymore.

"Oh everyone would be so surprised that a guy like him would abandon his own son...just so he could make more money, so maybe I shouldn't tell..." Sarge said suspiciously.

"There is absolutely no way that that guy's Sergeant ..." Mr. Dickinson said quietly to himself. "Sarge is probably just that guy's nickname, being a leader and all"

"Hiro, you act like you know absolutely everything!" Judy insulted.

"I know more than you do, Mrs. Tate!" Hiro insulted.

"Would everybody just BE QUIET!" someone yelled. Everyone stopped and turned to look at him. It wasn't one person; Pharoas and Tyson, who'd both yelled the same thing at the exact moment.

"Everyone, just get along! Let's all enjoy a smoothly running tournament this time, 'kay?" Pharoas asked politely. Mr. Dickinson shuddered at the sound of his voice. That mans still gave him the creeps. It was even freakier that Tyson said the same thing as he did, but that was just a coincidence.

People began to chat as dinner was served, nobody was yelling. It had been much more peaceful since they were yelled at.

Max was still socializing with his new friends, who were called the Barbarians. He was mainly talking with Patrick, and Quinlan was often adding things or butting in. Ray tried to avoid paying any attention to anyone from White Tiger X, as they did to him. But occasionally he and Mariah would accidentally make eye contact, then look away and pretend that they didn't know each other. Kai obviously wasn't socializing at all; Tyson tried talking to him a few times though. Kai turned away each time, so Tyson decided to take a look at the other bladers.

There was a large attendance of professional Beybladers, plus all the amateurs who weren't invited to the feast. There was the All Starz, who once again included the laid-back Rick. The Majestics were there as well. Tyson had a feeling that they'd improved a great deal since the last tournament, when they didn't do well at all. White Tiger X was there, and again brought Tao along with them. It was funny to imagine how much trouble the old man could get into in a place like this! The Barthez Battalion had shown up, minus Barthez.

This was the first time Wyatt had entered in a tournament, and was expected to do very well with the help of the Blitzkrieg Boys. The Eon Bladers a.k.a team Psykick were a huge surprise to see here. Tyson hadn't seen them for the longest time. Too bad Kane wasn't feeling well, because he would've enjoyed meeting everyone else.

Then there were those two teams that nobody had heard of before: Velocity of Light and the Barbarians. The Barbarians were nice people. Velocity of Light may be a different story. The actual team didn't even show up for the feast, only coach Pharoas.

Everyone left the building at 10:30 in the evening. On the way out, Tyson noticed a large crowd of people on the other side of the road. "What's going on over there?" he asked.

"Just some idiot showing off" Kai replied. Tyson went over to investigate anyway.

He was right; there was a tall boy with long blonde hair that was curly at the end rolling up and down the sidewalk on a skateboard. Each time he passed, he pull off a different trick. A kick flip, a heel flip and very skilled manuals. There was a small wooden jump on one side of his show area. He'd do great 360's when he used that. He crowed cheered. It was pretty impressive, after all.

"Thank you very much everyone! I'll be here for the rest of the month at least!" he yelled to his fans. Then he skated away. A few people followed him, begging him to continue the show.

"Did you see that guy?" Tyson asked his friends on the way to the hotel.

"I watched him for a little while, he's okay" Ray answered.

"Yeah, I guess he's pretty good" Max replied.

"He's a show-off" Kai growled.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Tyson asked.

"Well he's kinda ruining the Beyblade vibe of this...people are supposed to be all excited about the tournament but instead they're all crazy for him" Ray explained.

"Oh I see now...you're jealous?" Tyson teased.

"What? I don't have any reason to be jealous of _him_" Ray said insuring. That was the end of the discussion.

Kane's team mates visited him right after they returned to the hotel. When they entered his room, he was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling.

"Feeling better, Kane?" Jim asked.

"How was dinner?" Kane asked, changing the subject.

"Oh it was good...now, how are _you_ feeling?" Salima inquired.

"Listen, I wasn't feeling bad to start with" Kane began. "I'm in a bad mood because of what happened earlier today!"

"Forget about it Kane, I'm the one who should be feeling bad about that!" Jim said. Kane didn't listen.

"Eon doesn't even stand a chance against these other teams, and do you know why? Huh? It's because all of those other Beybladers have Bit-Beasts!" Kane jumped up and stomped his feet on the floor.

"Settle down Kane, there are people below us trying to sleep!" Salima said.

"Well it's true!" Kane continued. "Those other bladers have so much more strength than us just because of that! Has a team that doesn't posses Bit-Beasts _ever_ done well in this tournament? No!"

"You know, there's a first time for everything" Goki commented.

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Well there you have it, the fifth chapter! I'm so glad I'm finally writing this story...it's been ping-ponging around my brain for the last year! The Eon Bladers may come off as losers in this chapter, but I promise they'll get better...eventually...


	6. Round one and rivalries

Hiya! Thanks to the reviewers, you're so kind. It might take me a few days to write each chapter from now on. You see, I've had chapters 1 through 4 finished for a while now, it's just that I uploaded recently.

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**Round One and Rivalries**

They had announced the competitors. The first round which was taking place today would be the All Starz versus the Barbarians. Tomorrow, Barthez Battalion and the Bladebreakers. Then Eon Bladers against the Blitzkrieg Boys. Finally, White Tiger X and the Majestics.

"Morning, Gary" Lee said, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Lee, you're not going to believe it; the mini bar in my room was stocked with ice cream!" Gary announced excitedly.

"You know what all the food in the mini bar costs money, right?" Lee yawned.

"No it...doesn't..."Gary answered nervously.

Lee sighed. "All right, how much of it did you eat?"

"Only a couple of containers..."

"Do you have any idea how much the gourmet ice cream costs?!" Lee explained, now fully awake.

"Well at the store it's usually three dollars a tub"

"Take that and multiply it by three, then multiply that number by the amount you ate, that's how much money it's gonna cost you!"

Gary thought for a moment. Let's see, three times three equals nine, times five...

"FORTY FIVE AMERICAN DOLLARS!" Gary yelled angrily.

"How on earth did you manage to eat 5?" Lee exclaimed, eyes wide.

"They were only tiny tubs, Lee!" Gary yelled.

The White Tiger boys got into a heated conversation about expensive ice cream, waking up everyone on that floor.

Most of the teams were in the restaurant downstairs eating breakfast. Mariah was sitting at a table alone when Kevin arrived downstairs.

"Its breakfast time...where's Gary?" he asked.

"Gary and Lee are arguing about ice cream" Mariah answered, giggling a bit. She seemed a bit more cheerful today.

"Oh well, I'm too hungry to wait for them" Kevin said while looking through the menu.

The Eon Bladers, minus Kane, were sitting at a nearby table.

"Jim, does that kid's voice sound familiar to you?" Goki asked.

Jim looked over in the direction of Kevin and nodded. "You're right...he's what kid we met the other day!" Salima whispered.

"It's his fault that Kane is so down in the dumps" Goki whispered back.

"I'll teach that guy a lesson..." Jim said and smirked.

"No Jim, maybe we're making a mistake!" Salima advised but it was too late.

Jim didn't hesitate. He picked up his empty glass and tossed it across the room, without considering of the consequences. Unfortunately, his brain was better than his brawn and he didn't have excellent aim. The glass didn't hit his target, but the person next to him. His glass hit the totally unexacting Mariah in the head. It broke on contact, leaving Mariah unconscious with shards of glass in her hair.

"What the heck is your problem!" Kevin shrieked. He jumped off his chair and marched vengefully to the Eon Bladers.

"Honestly, I didn't mean to hit her!" Jim said hesitantly. Salima went to the girl's aide.

"Then who _were_ you trying to hit? Me? Are you trying to kill someone! It's a glass! A _glass_, for gosh sakes! What were you thinking?" Kevin lectured.

"I'm sorry; I just lost control for a second!" Jim yelled. Everyone in the restaurant was looking at the two short ones fight.

"Don't be angry because I'm better than you" Kevin said.

"I'm not...grr!" Jim was getting quite frustrated. He was really sorry to have thrown the glass, it was a stupid thing to do and he knew that. But now Kevin was just insulting him. Of course, he had reason to be angry as well.

"Both of you, you are as bad as each other!" Goki accused.

"I'm not the one who threw a weapon!" Kevin objected.

"A milk glass is not a weapon!" Jim objected.

"I wouldn't have thought so either, but, look at what happened!"

"That was an _accident!_ Haven't you ever heard of the term 'forgive and forget'?"

"Hey, I'm through with that lousy saying! We forgave and forgot and we just ended up getting betrayed again!"

"Well I'm not surprised! Who would ever side with _you_!"

"You're the one with no friends, you weak, lame Beyblader!"

Goki stood up for his pal. "Don't you be saying anything like that to Jimmy ever again!" he threatened.

"Or else _what_?" Kevin slyly asked.

"Alright, break it up people!" The owner of the restaurant yelled. But Goki, Jim and Kevin didn't cease.

Slowly, Mariah was coming to.

"What...just happened?" She groaned, rubbing the top of her head, feeling pieces of glass.

"Umm...it was an accident, honestly it was!" Salima answered.

"Well what exactly happened? I just went out for a minute there..."

"You had a glass smashed over your head, to tell it straight" Salima explained guiltily.

"A glass smashed over my head? Who did that?" she asked with a bit of integrity, but was still pretty weak.

"My friend, Jim did it, but really it was an accident! Completely!"

Lee and Gary entered the restaurant. The first thing they saw was Goki lifting Kevin up by the back of his shirt collar.

"What is going on here?!" Gary demanded, while everyone was expecting him to yell, 'Where's breakfast?'.

"Mariah, your head's bleeding!" Lee exclaimed. His sister felt the top of here head again, smearing blood on her hand. Lee noticed the sparkles of glass in her hair as well; now he knew that something was going on.

Goki had to explain everything, the Kevin told his side of the story and the teams came to an agreement.

"So he's real sorry, and says he won't do something like that again, agreed?" Lee asked.

"...Agreed" Jim sighed.

"And I don't want to hear about _you_ bothering these people again, agreed?" Lee asked to Kevin, who sat on a chair with his arms crossed.

"...Alright fine...." he sighed.

White Tiger X and Eon both went their separate ways and doubted they'd ever meet again.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, Beybladers and their fans!" DJ announced energetically into his microphone. The entire crowd of hundreds and hundreds of people cheered. "Here we are gathered here today at the BBA Tower to watch the best battle their hearts out!"

Everyone was in an uproar again. Kids and kids at heart were gathered to watch the All Starz battle the Barbarians!

"So who should go up first, Judy?" Michael asked.

"Well why don't we just send out whoever wants to go first?" Emily proposed. Emily was beginning to become less dependant on Judy and relied more on her own judgement. It had the rest of the team stumped; normally she was like Judy Jr., always agreeing to her decisions, going through with all her plans and doing research for her. Now she hardly even asked for her advice. Nobody could figure it out.

"I think that since we have no idea who they're going to chose, we should just go with our second-strongest blader" Judy said.

"That's you, Mike" Rick said as he laid back in his chair listening to his usual music.

"Actually, I was wondering if...I could go last?" Michael asked.

"I think that Rick should go last, you go first" Judy rejected.

"Judy I really think that I can do it!" Michael said raising his voice.

"Just let him go" Emily yawned.

"Fine then...Emily you can go first" Judy said uncertainly.

"That sounds okay to me" said Emily. She prepared her blade.

"Michael you'll battle after her, then Rick" Judy announced. Michael was about to object but then remembered that Judy was the boss and she knew best. He sat down unhappily.

On the other side of the building the Barbarians also discussed their strategies.

"Patrick, you'll be going second, Cam in first, and they'll be no need for a third round" Sarge explained.

"You're really that sure that both of use will win?" Cam asked, pushing his green hair out of his face.

"If you use that new camouflage technique you were practicing the other day, they won't even be able to see your blade" Sarge assured.

"It went all invisible!" Quinlan added.

Cam nodded and confidently walked up to the podium. Emily walked to her side.

"It looks like the first round will be Cameron versus Emily!" DJ announced. "And the stadium they'll be battling in will be what we call the acro arena!"

The stadium rose from beneath the floor. It was a large, silver dish that didn't appear to have anything special to it.

"Emily, you watch out!" Judy called. "It may not look like it, but the surface of this stadium is as slippery as a freshly waxed floor! You're going to need control more than..."

"Alright, I get it!" Emily sneered. Judy was taken aback.

"3...2...1...Let it Rip!" DJ yelled, along with the hundreds of spectators. Both bladers launched into the acro arena. Cam was having problems from the start.

Upon entering the stadium, his blade has slipped on the surface and nearly ruined everything. It made a lucky recovery, but was still in no shape to speed around. But it didn't matter, not with his plan.

His green blade suddenly disappeared. Emily squinted and adjusted her glasses. Still, nothing; it had turned invisible.

"That's it, just avoid her until she messes up..." Cam mumbled to himself.

And it didn't take long to happen. Since she couldn't see the blade, Emily tried attacking in random places. The first two times were unsuccessful. After she missed a third time, the green blade re-appeared without warning and crashed into it with amazing force, sending it out of the acro dish.

"Stadium out! Cameron takes the first match with ease!" DJ declared. The crowd seemed confused. Where has his blade gone for the entire match, they had no clue.

Emily was just as stumped. "Judy, what went wrong?" she asked.

"Camouflage; the blade didn't disappear, but it had the ability to hide itself" Judy explained.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Emily asked.

"You didn't need my help" Judy answered angrily. "Rick, you're up next"

Michael couldn't believe it. "You promised me that..."

"If we don't win this one, we've lost" She explained.

"So you don't trust me that I can win?" Michael asked. She didn't respond this time.

Rick marched confidently up to the stadium, as did Patrick. Then Sarge called back to him.

"Patrick, I've had a change of plans! Would you mind if Hunter went up instead of you?" he asked.

"Is there a reason for your doing?" Patrick asked in his catchy accent.

"Just watch, and you'll see" Sarge said. He winked at Patrick. Patrick winked back. Quinlan winked at both of them.

Hunter passed Patrick on his way to the arena. "Pat, I want you to time me. From the moment I launch my blade to how long it takes me to win this match" Hunter asked in his low, shady voice.

Hunter's launcher looked more like a gun than anything else. It included a trigger and a scope lens. Hunter peered through the scope, taking precise aim. He was like a poacher with only one shot left. It was sheer concentration.

"3...2...1...Let it rip!"

What occurred when Hunter launched his blade was something that would be talked about for many weeks ahead. His blade was launched so that it hit Rick's blade directly. The impact was incredibly powerful. Rick's Rock Bison blade was smashed hard down onto the floor, completely immobile. The match was over before the blades even touched the stadium.

For a few moments DJ was silent, as was every other person who'd seen it. "Oh my gosh...this battle's over before it even started...that has to be the shortest running match in Beyblade history! And Hunter's the victor!"

The crowed did not cheer or boo, just whispered to each other. But there were so many people doing so that it was a dull roar.

"Did that guy cheat of something? Who is he, anyway?"

"Something's seriously weird about that Hunter kid..."

"I've never seen such a lame performance by an All Star!"

"Hey, it's not his fault, Hunter had to be breaking some rule or another"

Rick didn't even bother to pick up his blade. "What exactly did you just pull off there, kid?" he demanded.

"I call it sniper smash. You call it demise" Hunter answered.

"Why you cocky..."

"Two seconds Hunty!" Quinlan screamed, catching everbody's attention. Hunter smiled at his own success.

"Wee Quinlan had not been telling lies!" Patrick yelled, pointing at his watch. The numbers 00:02 flashed.

Sarge clapped. "Well done, Hunter. I knew that you'd pull it off. Now do you see why I wanted Hunter to go before you, Patrick?"

"There'll be no need for round three because we've already gotten two points!" Patrick said excitedly.

Rick trudged back to the rest of his team, avoiding eye contact.

"Aren't you going to get your blade?" Judy asked.

"It's trash. I don't need it anymore"

"Rick, what exactly happened out there?" Emily asked him eagerly.

"I have no idea...I just launched my blade and the next thing I knew it was all over!" He stomped his foot hard on the ground. In his angry state, his team mates kept a good distance from him. Rick was unpredictable.

"I, myself, am confused about how Hunter managed to take out Rock Bison in one hit, let alone how he struck it before even touching the ground" Judy pondered.

"Did you see his launcher?" Emily answered, "It's like a gun; what I'm referring to particularly is then scope lens. It allows him to have precise aim when he launches.

"Wow...think you could make me one of those?" Rick asked. "There's still the consolation half of the tournament. If we win that, we'll have a chance for the finals!"

"Are you sure that you could learn to use that kind of equipment in such short time?" Judy asked.

"Of course I can, how could you ever doubt me?" Rick answered convincingly.

The All Starz were in pretty good spirits considering they lost. The Barbarians weren't cocky about it either; Rick and Hunter actually shook hands in the lobby after the match. Emily thought that Cam was just a bit too creepy for her liking. Cam was strange; he had two green mohawk, spike bands on his wrists and goggles that gave him the resemblance of a lizard.

The bladers who hadn't watched the match had seen it on live TV back in their hotel rooms.

"That guy really has some skill" Gary complimented. "Mariah, how's your head feeling?"

"Better, but still pretty sore" she answered, still holding an ice pack to her head as she had been all day.

"Jimmy is such a jerk..."Kevin growled again for the fifteenth him.

"Be quiet Kevin, he apologized and that's that" Lee barked at him.

"Still, when I meet him in the stadium, I'm not going to be as friendly this time"

"So I guess you _weren't _finding shortcuts around time last night"

"For the last time, no! I lied, okay! You shouldn't rub it in"

Across the hall, the Eon Bladers had also finished watching the battle. Unfortunately hadn't helped Kane as they'd hoped it would.

"We're up next...let's just quit like Kevin suggested!" Kane whined.

"We are not going to quit!" Goki objected. "We trained real hard and we're not letting it go to waste!"

"Fine, you can go, but I'll be staying right _here_" Kane declared, pointing at his bed.

"Kane, we'll need you as well!" Salima told him.

"I'm saving _my_ blade from destruction, thanks!" he defied.

"We can't do it without you, Kane".

Kane looked into the sad eyes of his friends. They weren't sad for themselves, but for his sake. Kane had been lying in his room feeling sorry for himself ever since Kai told him to go home, that he wasn't worthy of being here. He had been trying to lock himself in a shadow that shielded him from the truth.

His friends needed him. But there was no certainty that he'd be up to it. What if he let them down?

It was time to face reality. The demeanour of losing, he'd deal with that later. He needed to focus on right now, and right now his friends needed him to stand up, shake it off and be the leader.

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Wow, that was a long chapter! Or at least it seemed long to me. I'm so sad because they only show G-Revolution on Saturdays now!;; I promise that the next chapter will start off with another conversation between the team Velocity of Light....


	7. Missing

It's Saturday night, I'm bored so I thought "Hey, Amanda, you're bored, so how about updating your story?" At first I thought that it was a bit late to be on the computer but then I thought "Oh what the hay. Let's get writing!"

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**Missing**

The morning sun reflected on the ocean's surface, shinning like diamond. The large buildings casted dark shadows, setting the scene for another perfect Hawaiian day. Small waves lapped up against the shoreline, exotic birds chirped and sang, and Velocity of Light began their daily morning routine.

"Aww man, I didn't get a wink of sleep all flipping night long!" Garrett yawned, giving his alarm clock a hard blow and smashing it to pieces.

Pedro rolled over in his bed and whispered to himself. "Every morning he does this..._every morning _he wakes me uphow much more of this am I going to take?"

"I pity you, G; I slept like a baby last night!" Blaise said upon waking up. "Hey where's Mute?"

Pedro looked over to the far bed. It was empty.

"She got up bright and early today" Garrett answered as he dressed.

"Every day she either sleeps in or gets up early...what a strange girl" Blaise commented.

Pedro frowned. "Didn't Pharoas ask us to meet him as soon as we got up?" he remembered. The other guys also recalled him saying that. Pedro and Garrett left when they were fully dressed. Blaise followed, but didn't bother to put on his clothes.

Down the dimly lit hall again...was Pharoas ever going to install real lights? Probably not. Like Blaise said earlier 'The Man isn't all that organized'.

Pharoas looked pleased to see them at first. "I'm glad that you arrived here exactly when I ...Blaise _where_ are your clothes!"

The boy in boxers stood there without a single hint of embarrassment on his face. "I was tired so I didn't bother. We're all guys here, so does it really matter?"

Pharoas shook his head. "Anyhow, I changed our entry plan a bit. I've entered us as amateurs."

"WHAT?" The boys all gasped at once.

"Let me explain; there's a spot in the finals reserved for the winning amateur team. So all we have to do is take our sweet time beating these other entrants to ensure a place in the finals. We want as least attention as possible, remember? If we entered with the higher rank teams, we'd be fighting them early on. The media follows those bladers to every match. This a like a back-road to the finals"

"But it's an insult to our dignity!" Pedro objected.

"I _love_ media attention!" Blaise added. They both turned to Garrett, waiting for his answer. He shrugged.

"Well truthfully, I think it's a pretty good idea" he admitted.

"You'll thank me in the end" Pharoas closed "Good day. Go do some training...you're matches begin later today"

Once again, Blaise and Garrett left and Pedro stayed behind.

"You're pushing it, Pharoas. You didn't even consult the team before making the decision!"

Pharoas rolled his eyes and sighed. "Pedro, Pedro, Pedro...why do you always have to be against me? I've done nothing to you, have I? I'm only trying to do what's best for you and your friends and you repay me with a constant grudge!"

"I still don't have faith in you. Some things never change, as the saying goes. I'm not taking any chances" Pedro left. "Oh and I'm not going to 'fetch' Raine. If you want to talk, go looking yourself."

"Wake up call, Kenny! Don't be lazy!" The Chief woke up to the familiar voice of his Bit Beast, Dizzi.

"I'm awake..." he yawed, stretching his arms. "Today's our day, right?"

"That's right; the Bladebreakers' match begins at 11:00!" She answered in her always-cheerful voice.

"Guess I'd better go wake up the other guys then..."

He walked up and down the hall knocking on the other guys' doors. "Rise and shine, morning's fine!" The repeated rapping of the doors woke everyone up except...Kai?

"That is seriously strange" Tyson yawned. He, Max, Ray and Kenny waited in the hall.

"Normally he's the first one to wake up in the mornings" Ray commented. Hiro arrived from his room farther down the hall.

"Everybody's awake, right?" he said. "Where's Kai? Is he sleeping in?"

"Kai! Kai! KAI!" Tyson yelled, thrashing at the door. Nothing. "This is no time to be lazy! Get up already!" KAI!"

"Shut up Tyson, there's people still resting!" Hiro barked.

"Wait...did actually _see_ Kai enter last night?" Max asked suspiciously. Nobody answered.

They unlocked the door and just as Max had thought, Kai wasn't there. There wasn't a single trace that he'd ever been there before; only his luggage on the floor, which was also untouched.

"Where the heck is Kai?" Hiro yelled angrily. "The match is in a couple of hours and he's been gone since last night! What in the world could he be up to?"

"We'd better find him now...let's split up and search the city" Kenny suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea" everyone agreed.

"I'll put you back in my room" Kenny said to his laptop that he'd been holding the entire time.

"Don't take too long, or I'll get lonely!" Dizzi said before he set the device down on his bed. The Chief took one last look at his precious partner before he shut the door.

The team entered the elevator. A figure in a dark purple robe appeared in the hall the moment they were gone. It approached the door that had just been shut.

"Thank you, Kai..." the person whispered. The sneak pulled a thin wire of metal out of a pocket and inserted it into the keyhole. A loud click signified that the door was unlocked. The figure crept into the room with great caution, although nobody was there. The shady figure was in and out in about ten seconds, leaving not a single trace that anyone had been there. Not leaving anything behind, but leaving with a new treasure in hand.

While the others began searching for Kai, Max decided to ask around. Most of the people he asked didn't even know who Kai was, and the ones that did were stupid fan girls, not providing much help. He inquired local merchants, kids, some guys playing beach volleyball...even other Beybladers didn't know where he was.

"I haven't seen the guy since the other night" Enrique answered, surrounded by six beach babes.

"Kai? Nope, he's not around here" Goki replied while slurping an ice cream.

"You're team mate's missing?" Miguel of Barthez Battalion asked. "I hope he shows up for our match. I really can't wait for this afternoon"

"Yep, I'm excited too...but _why_ does he have to be so mysterious?" Max complained.

"Maybe it's for attention. Have you noticed, Max, that Kai actually has some fans over here in Hawaii?"

"That's pretty neat. Being friends with a famous person, I mean"

"You're pretty famous as well. Everybody knows who Max Tate is"

"Hehehe...it sure is great to be a Beyblader" Max said modestly.

"I agree. I'm glad that I'm here" Miguel added.

Miguel was happy to be a Beyblader, with friends that would stick by him forever. He had no reason to resent it; until later on that day.

Because when the time came for their match with the Bladebreakers, Miguel didn't show up. Neither did Claude, Matilda or Aaron. The Bladebreakers had failed to find Kai as well, but they showed up anyways. They waited for their opponents to arrive. The minute hand on the clock advanced, eventually reaching over an hour, the Barthez Battalion did not advance at all.

"If they Barthez Battalion does not arrive at this tower in ten minutes, the Bladebreakers will win this match by default" Mr. Dickson announced to the impatient audience.

"First Kai, now Miguel and his team mates...what on earth is going on?" Tyson asked the coach.

"It is a strange coincidence I admit, but there's no need to get too concerned" Hiro answered.

"But shouldn't we go looking for them?" Ray asked.

"Although it seems like the noble thing to do, we'd better stay here, in case they show up while you're gone" Hiro rejected. Ray nodded in agreement.

"I spoke with Miguel this morning and everything was fine" Max pondered, glancing at his watch. "Is Kenny going to get here, or what?"

"He was just taking a trip back to the hotel, get Dizzi and then come right back" Hiro explained. Max was relieved. The last thing they needed was another missing person.

"This won't hurt one bit"

The scientist hooked up one more wire to the laptop, which already have a cacophony of different cords protruding form the outlet.

"That's too many wires, Doc!" Dizzi warned. "Take the last one out or somebody's going to get an electric shock!"

"You're more annoying than I remember" the rude man commented. He has just finished washing a sharp metal tool that looked like one that a dentist would use.

"Don't you dare come close to me with that thing!" Dizzi shrieked.

"That's it!" The man yelled frustrated, He slammed the laptop shut, drowning the Bit-Beast's voice to a dull roar.

"If you continue to treat me like that I'm going to break!" She attempted to yell.

The man ignored her, continuing his work. He spit one wire open with the tool, then threw it away. He equipped thick gloves to prevent a possible shock, then began working with the cord, tying the smaller strings inside to those of a stray wire. Then he hooked that one up to a large machine. Finally, he unlocked a briefcase and took out a white, transparent Beyblade, and set in in the machine.

"Doc, what exactly are you doing...?" Dizzi asked apprehensively.

The doc ignored her request for answers and threw her a question instead. "Tell me, 'Dizzi' as they call you now, which Beyblader do you like the least?"

"Why are you asking...well, honestly I've never liked Kai very much...or Emily, she says that my data is incomplete! Can you believe the nerve of that girl? There's others, too..."

"Kai it is then, I'm not going to hurt a girl" the scientist said, pressing several buttons on his machine.

"Hurt? I don't want you to hurt anybody! Now hurry up and finish what you're doing, and get me back to Kenny!"

"You're never going back to him. You're too good for him"

"What...who...exactly are you anyways?" Dizzi asked slowly, as if she was deep in thought.

He didn't answer. The scientist pulled a lever on his machine. It made a hummed loudly and shook a bit. The blade inside was surged with electricity. The laptop sat on the table doing nothing. Then he pressed another switch. The laptop suddenly had a golden glow, then a jolt of electricity escaped on of the wires. The man lurched backwards as a result and hit the wall. Then the whole procedure came to a halt. The experiment had been a sucess.

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There you have it! Strange things are starting to happen...Where is Miguel, Matilda, Claude, Aaron, Kai and most importantly what exactly happened to poor Dizzi? All the answers will appear in upcoming chapters...now I'd better get to work on the next one, byebye


	8. Lucky win!

Hiya again. I've got a question: In the Beyblade 2000 song **Off the Chains**, how many times do they say "off the chains"? I counted **65 times**! That's a lot...but it's hard to count because at the end they say it over and over at a fast pace. My brother counted **71 times**! Does anyone know the truth? Please find out if you have any free time, because it's really quite a mystery.

Also I've found the definition of **Blitzkrieg**; it means bombardment. I thought it was just something they made up

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**Lucky win!**

When the Barthez Battalion never showed up, people began to worry. BBA officials told the police to conduct a search. Tyson felt guilty; winning by default is actually worse than losing when you think about it. If you lose, you can still feel good about yourself because you know that you tried your best, and you witnessed the rise of perhaps the next world champ. In this case, the Bladebreakers didn't put any effort into winning, and their opponents could be suffering somewhere.

The day wasn't going well to begin with and things got considerably worse when they returned to the hotel and found Kenny lying on his bed, balling his eyes out.

"What's up, Chief?" Ray asked with little concern. He assumed that he was worried about the Barthez Battalion.

"DIZZI!" Kenny shrieked. "It's gone! My laptop...just disappeared and I've looked everywhere!"

"Are you sure that you've looked _everywhere_?" Hiro asked him.

"Well I've checked my room; it's definitely not there" Kai said. He had just entered the room.

"...Thanks for looking anyways..." Kenny sobbed.

"Kai! Where have you been all day and all night?" Tyson exclaimed.

"I went for a walk" he answered coolly.

"A walk?" Hiro yelled. "How could you have been on a walk since last night?"

"I wasn't very tired so I didn't bother going to bed" Kai answered. "And I got a bit lost...but that doesn't really matter".

"Well where do you go?" Max asked him curiously.

"First I was watching a surfer guy. A shark went after him, it was pretty funny. Then I went to the farthest side of the city and...never mind. Not interesting"

Hiro shot him a suspicious look then decided that he wouldn't get any answers by bothering him. "It's time to go on a search...again. We'll split up and ask the other bladers if they saw anybody enter Kenny's room while we were out."

"I'm so tired of searching...I'm not Sherlock Holmes you know!" Tyson complained.

Tyson purposely avoided the other bladers. He knew that they'd just give him the cold shoulder because he didn't have to use any effort to advance to the next round, while they had to give it their all and beyond that.

He wandered aimlessly around the city on his own. The constant blow of the wind made large waves, but it also made the water freezing cold, so swimming was out of the question. Tyson decided to practice Beyblading instead, away from everyone's attention.

After a lot of wandering he found the perfect place; an abandoned dock on the eastern side of the city. There was old abandoned shop, all the doors and windows bordered up. And a pop machine and a set of binoculars that you could only use if you inserted a quarter. Everything had suspicious gashes and dents in it. _Everything. _

Tyson launched his blade from every angle, aimed at many different targets and skipped it across the water.

"Whew, that's pretty tough training..." He panted after a good hour of training. He deposited two dollars into the drink vending machine. But nothing happened and it wouldn't return Tyson's coins.

"Darn it, you stupid machine!" He yelled at the drink vending machine.

"You have to give it a good kick" someone said. Tyson looked over his shoulder. There was a girl sitting on the edge of the dock. Tyson hadn't even noticed the whole time he was there.

"Here, I'll prove it" She got up and approached the machine, and gave it a good kick. The thing finally dispensed not one pop, but two!

"Uh...thanks!" Tyson thanked. He picked up the beverages and handed one to the girl. "Here, you can have one" She took it reluctantly.

"So how exactly long have you been here?" He asked.

"The whole time you've been here, I guess" she answered. "You just didn't notice me before now, since I'm so quiet. People always tell me that"

"That's a good thing...people say that I never shut up!" Tyson laughed. She laughed to.

"So...you're a Beyblader?" she asked.

"Well don't you know about Tyson Granger, three times Beyblade World Champion?" Tyson bragged.

"Yeah...but I didn't think that you were him" she said. Tyson was insulted a bit. Was his performance not world class?

"Are _you _a Beyblader?" he asked competitively.

"Nope, I've never launched a Beyblade in my entire life" she answered.

"Oh, I thought that you'd done all the damage to this place" Tyson looked around at the slashed up shop.

"It wasn't me" she added quickly. "I guess it's getting late, so I...should be going" And as quickly as she'd appeared, she was gone. Tyson decided to leave shortly after that. The team regrouped at the hotel. Nobody had found or heard anything to do with the missing laptop.

Kai gazed at the cave walls all around him. Every inch of it was covered in an inscription, written in some kind of ancient hieroglyphics. He got up off the cold ground, continued to stare at the walls. Some of them had pictures inscribed on them, of creatures that didn't exist in these days. A snakelike monster, a three headed dog, a human with the feline ears and tail and sharp fangs, a griffon and a werewolf were just some of the recognizable figures. Then he looked up at the ceiling...

...And woke up. Kai was having a nightmare, none of that really existed. He wiped his forehead, drenched in sweat. "Two nights in a row, that stupid dream with the hieroglyphics...I must be going nuts" Kai joked. He looked up at the clock, seeing that it was only 3:00, and dozed off again.

The following day was the match between the Blitzkrieg Boys and Eon Bladers, and as you would've expected, Kane was extremely nervous. Kane pretended to be ready so as not to disappoint the rest of the Eon Bladers, but deep down he was praying for anything to happen that would prevent the match; a car accident, a fire, a blizzard, anything!

On the contrary, Wyatt of the opposing team was completely ecstatic about his first tournament battle. "I just can't wait to show everybody what I've got!" he chanted on their way to the tower.

"Then you'll have to wait a bit longer; you're not doing anything today" Spencer told him.

"But I thought that we were battling today?" he asked, confused.

"You're partly correct, we, as in Brian Spencer and I, are going to battle" Tala corrected.

"I'm part of this team to ya know!" he complained.

"Boris said that you had to be _part _of the team but he didn't say anything about you having any _role _in the team" Spencer explained, although what he said didn't make any sense.

Wyatt crossed his arms and pouted but didn't start anything. It was better not to get in a fistfight with one of those cold guys. Even Boris kept his distance.

"It's another beautiful day here in Hawaii; the perfect set for a red-hot Beybattle!" DJ introduced to the audience. "To my left are the Blitzkrieg Boys and to my right are the Eon Bladers!"

The Blitzkrieg Boys got a loud cheer, but nobody really knew the Eon Bladers yet. Kane tried to look brave when the spotlight hit him, but it was clear that he was scared.

"I'm going first, I called it!" Goki requested.

"Second's the best!" Salima declared. They both looked expectantly at the other two.

"The last time I battled it was a disgrace!" Jim objected. "My Blade isn't fully repaired yet anyhow so..."

"I...guess it's up to me!" Kane tried to say positively. "Oh boy is this going to be a great match! We'll win for sure!"

"Kane, do you have any idea how sarcastic that sounded?" Salima asked angrily. They frowned at Kane. His recent lack of faith was annoying.

The stadium was revealed. "This is the pitfall stadium! Most of your effort will have to be put into speed; there are several pitfalls in this arena, and since you can't see where they are, the only way to avoid them is going so fast that you won't fall in!" Everyone gasped.

"Now _that_ is dumb...its shire luck!" Spencer complained.

"You heard the man; just go really fast!" Tala suggested, pushing Spencer forward. It was his unkind way of saying 'You're up first, Spencer'.

"3...2...1...Let it Rip!" Goki and Spencer launched their blades into the pitfall arena. As both of them landed, the surface beneath the blades began to crumble.

"Whoa!" Goki's blade swerved out of the way just in time. Spencer's did the same.

"That's two pits activated already!" DJ exclaimed.

Spencer observed at how close Goki's blade came to falling and quickly cooked up a plan. "Come and get me, slowpoke!" he taunted. The Seaborg blade zigzagged around the stadium. Goki's made chase.

"Goki you're going to fall in a trap if you're not careful!" Salima called.

"I know, but letting him run away is not gonna finish the match!" He called back. Spencer chuckled. This was exactly what he had planned; he'd just keep his pace and avoid Goki, then bash him when he'd least expect an attack.

The two blades spun over more and more pitfalls. Now there were a total of seven 3-inch wide holes in the stadium and less place for their game of chase.

"It has to be getting difficult for these two bladers to fight with all the pits!" DJ yelled.

Spencer was ready to end this. His blade's newly installed engine gear kicked in. The blade spun in the opposite direction, made a 360 turn and hit the opposing blade. A perfect hit; the force knocked Goki's blade back, right into a pit.

"That's it, his blade has stopped spinning! Spencer wins this round!"

Spencer caught his blade and broke out in laughter. "Too easy! This is just getting too easy!"

Goki pulled the blade out of the pit and returned to his team, head hung low. "I tried my best..." he admitted.

"It's okay, we'll avenge your lost, Kane and I!" Salima assured.

"What do you mean, Kane _and_ I?" Kane asked unsurely.

"Jim just thought of an idea that will increase our chances of winning _and_ benefit you as well" Salima answered, turning to the Blitzkrieg Boys. "Hey Boys! Do you think you'd be up for a two-on-two battle?"

"Unlike you, we only need one person to get the job done...no thanks!" Tala replied.

"Then why don't _you_ take on both of us at once?" Salima challenged.

"Those guys have no idea what they're doing. Why don't ya go for it?" Spencer said.

Tala didn't need any more convincing. "You guys are on! I could take out an army of bladers at your level blindfolded!"

The BBA judges discussed it and agreed that if Tala really wanted it, it would be allowed.

"You shouldn't take the risk!" Wyatt warned him. Tala pushed him back.

Salima and Kane stepped up to the stadium.

"So you remember what Jim explained to you?" she asked.

"I've got it" Kane reassured.

The three bladers launched their Beyblades into the stadium each with great confidence. Salima's repeatedly attacked the Wolborg Beyblade.

"So you want to play rough with me?" Tala said slyly.

Wolborg countered with more powerful attack, knocking the other blade back over and over. She concentrated very hard so as not to let her blade fall in a pit. It came close a few times but never dropped.

Kane's Beyblade circled the circumference of the stadium aimlessly while his partner fought. Tala changed his target to the blue Beyblade, but Salima blocked it.

"Hey Kane, why are you leaving all the work to the lass?" Tala taunted. "That's not very man of you, Kane"

Kane tried hard to ignore his insults. He was tempted to command his blade to thrash Tala's, but he had to hold back until the time was right. Kane just had to observe Wolborg giving Salima a serious beating.

More and more pitfalls were revealed, but nobody was falling in. Now it was extremely difficult for them to keep control. It was an obstacle course, and their struggle was keeping the crowd happy.

Both Salima and Tala were growing weak and tired, but the idle Kane was still on his feet.

"Go, Eon guys!" Quinlan cheered from the stands.

"You guys are the bomb, you are!" Patrick called.

"Go for it!" Ray cheered.

Everyone's encouragement made it easier for the tired bladers to go on.

"You're...pretty tough...for a girl" Tala complimented tiredly.

"You are...quite strong...yourself" Salima panted. "Don't...underestimate girls...ever...especially not me"

Their blades bashed together once again. "Initiate engine gear!" Tala commanded. Wolborg gained an extra boost of power.

"Engine...gear!" Salima repeated. Her blade also acquired more speed. Now they were pretty much of equal power. But Tala still had Wolborg...

"This is getting to be a nuisance...Wolborg, attack!" Tala ordered. The wolf-like snow white creature emerged from his blade.

"Here comes the Bit-Beast!" DJ called enthusiastically. "This is the end for Salima!"

Wolborg sped towards the opposing blade with incredible force, ready for a knockout...

"Counter attack!" Kane suddenly called. The blue Beyblade hit Tala's at the exact moment the it was making a sharp turn around a hole. The hit wasn't of much power but Tala hadn't expected it, therefor he didn't avoid him, and that cost him the match when he was moments away from possible victory.

"No...way...I'm so stupid!" Tala screamed. "I screwed up at the last minute and lost to...the gutless...blader Kane?!"

"I did it, I did it!" Kane jumped up and down excitedly. His team mates ran to celebrate with him.

"I told you" Wyatt said triumphantly. Tala snarled at him like a dog then grabbed him by his shirt collar.

"You...keep your mouth shut or you won't even be alive to regret it!" Tala threatened. He dropped him. Wyatt crawled back many feet away in fear.

"Cut him some slack; we don't plan on it for you" Spencer said.

"That was one of the most pathetic mistakes I've ever seen" Brian added angrily.

"It's not like any of you would've done better" Tala said under his breath.

"Actually Wyatt probably would have" Brian corrected. Wyatt looked up. "From now on you're going to be the one on bench. As much as I hate to admit it, Wyatt's probably better than you if this is your current skill level"

"You...don't have the right to do that!" Tala objected fiercely. "I'm the leader here and you need me!"

"If you want to keep it that way, straighten up your act and win!" Spencer warned.

The Eon Bladers' lucky win was a cause for celebration. When they returned to the hotel, they cranked up the music and had at little party at 11:00 in the evening. They invited a few of their old pals and new friends over to talk and in general have fun, which consisted of Max, Ray, Hiro, Quinlan, Patrick, and surprisingly Wyatt, who they'd met after the match. They had also offered for Tyson and Kai to come, but Kai had obviously refused, and Tyson had 'other plans'.

"The way you countered Tala, it was great" Ray commented.

"Thanks, but it was Kane who really won the match" Salima said. Kane bushed a bit.

Unfortunately not every was enjoying their loud festivities. And who was to crash the party but Mariah and Kevin? Jim answered the door. His heart sank at the sight of the two White Tigers.

"I don't want to be rude to you guys, but there are some people who'd like to get some sleep at eleven thirty at night?" Mariah asked, yawning. Jim noticed the scratch above her left eyelid that was probably from the other day.

"Well we're having a little celebration for our victory against the Blitzkrieg Boys, so I don't think we plan on being quiet for another hour or so" Jim answered.

"You owe us a favour so shut up and go to bed!" Kevin yelled, attracting the attention of the other guests.

"We're having a party; just ignore the noise or watch pay-per-view movies for a little while longer" Jim rejected.

"A party?" Kevin said. "I guess we can't blame you for being excited over your win...probably doesn't happen very often! Anyways, finish up playing spin the bottle and keep it down".

"_I certainly hope they're not playing spin the bottle_" Mariah though to herself, observing just who was in the room.

"We're just talking and drinking pop, you stupid, immature brat" Goki said to Kevin.

"Kevin, how long does it take to ask somebody to shut up?" Lee entered the scene.

"They're fighting again..." Mariah yawned.

"I'm not fighting it's just that Jim says they'll be another hour before they hit the lights and go to sleep" Kevin answered.

"I apologize; this must be way past the baby-bladers' bedtime...if you want, I can ask Salima to read you a bedtime story" Goki taunted. "I can't guarantee that she'd kiss you good-night though, I'm not sure of the sanitary conditions back where you're from...you might all have some horrible disease for all I know..."

"That's it!" Kevin shrieked before leaping onto Goki in an attempt to tackle him down. Goki grabbed him by the scruff of his neck . Kevin tried to punch him in midair but kept missing. Mariah came to his aide. She gave Goki a hard kick in the chest, making him drop Kevin. Jim pinned Kevin to the ground meanwhile.

"Stop it guys!" Kane ordered, but Goki and Jim ignored him. Mariah pushed Jim over and helped Kevin up. She tried to hold him back from striking again but she failed; Kevin leaped, this time trying to karate-kick Goki in the face, but he moved out of the way and Kevin hit Salima in the back instead, making her spill her drink all over Ray's shirt.

Kane grabbed one of Kevin's legs and attempted to throw him a short distance. Lee didn't want to get involved in this, but he also didn't want his friends to get hurt, so he tackled Kane to the floor. Salima went to help, but someone else; Mariah; got a tight hold on her shoulders and held her in place.

"Everyone stop it NOW!" someone boomed. It was Hiro, standing up on the table. "You are acting so immature for teenagers! If you've got something to prove, save it for the stadium, alright? Don't go kicking and hair pulling like little kids!"

"He started it..." Jim said, rolling his eyes.

"I didn't start anything!" Kevin objected fiercely.

"There you go again!" Hiro scolded. "You guys just apologize then leave quietly. It's nobody's fault because you're all just as bad as each other"

The disgruntled White Tigers left. Kevin spat on the floor on his way out.

"Sorry..." Mariah said on her way out.

"Don't apologize!" they heard Kevin yell down the hall.

There was an awkward silence after that, which was shortly broken by Hiro. "In a totally different subject, does anyone know what my brother was doing tonight?"

"He just said that he had other plans" Max answered.

"Well then what about Kai?" asked Hiro again.

"I asked him earlier to" Ray responded. "He said that he was going for a walk and asked me to make sure nobody followed him".

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Finally...that chapter was probably my longest one yet. A chapter normally takes me a couple of days to finish(becuase I spend too much time on the computer) but this time it took me about 4 days, because of its length and because my friends are having a really stupid conflict that I'm trying to resolve...

The next chapter's going to be called **Sarge's Story** and we'll find out why Sarge life story and why seems to know a way around every BBA rule.

Anyhow hope you enjoyed that, R&R please


	9. Sarge's Story

Hiya everyone...sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter...I had many other things to take care of

(Voice in the back of my head: No you didn't, you were goofing off...playing with the vampire teeth from your brother's Halloween costume yelling "I'm a Neko Jin! Look at my sharp teeth!")

Hehehe yeah maybe I was...but also the conflict amongst my friends isn't coming to a stop any time soon... (Why can't everyone just get along? So sad)

**By the way **apparently **Blitzkrieg** really means lightning war or flash war. My mistake...just goes to show that you can't trust an eighth grade C student's vocabulary...

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Sarge's Story**

Kai lifted his sore head from the ground. He pinched himself to make sure that it wasn't a dream. Somehow, he'd ended up in a shady neighbourhood. It was still dark out, but the few working lampposts gave enough light that he could observe his surroundings.

He was lying in the middle of what used to be a tennis court. Didn't look like anyone has used it for many years; the net piece of net that was left looked like it had been burned, the playing field had many holes and dents in it and the metal fence around it was all bent and ripped in a large spot. The nearby street was empty and the buildings were either half burned down or in very bad shape.

Kai had wandered to this place before, when he got lost the other night. One of the few people who was living there informed him that it wasn't, and never had been an actually neighbourhood. It used to be a tourist attraction, but it was the furthest thing from attractive nowadays. Another man he had met gave him more information about the place, but Kai failed to understand any of it. The only thing he caught onto was that this place consisted of two main things.

"Un plage et le Tour Bruler" Whatever that was supposed to mean. He would've gotten Dizzi to translate, had she not been stolen by the time he got back.

Kai got himself up and left the creepy neighbourhood, still not knowing how on earth he'd got there in the first place.

All the other Bladebreakers were waiting for him outside the hotel.

"So where did you go _this_ time?" Hiro asked suspiciously.

Kai sighed. "I went for a walk..."

"You know we're not going to buy that excuse every time!" Tyson said

"That reminds me...where did _you_ go last night?" Hilary asked suspiciously.

"I was training at my secret spot" Tyson answered proudly.

"That excuse is even worse that mine" Kai said. "You never train unless you're asked to. You'd especially not miss a party with food."

Tyson frowned at Kai. But he was pretty much used to being insulted by Kai by now. He had known him for almost four years now, after all. Funny; it hadn't had seemed like that long. Kai really hadn't changed a bit since the day he met him.

"So are there any good matches on today?" Kai asked.

"White Tiger X against the Majestics" Max answered.

"It's easy to tell who's going to win this one" Hiro remarked.

"What do you mean?" asked Tyson.

"Well, you wouldn't understand" Hiro began. "Last night and throughout the past couple of days, it has become evident that The Eon Bladers and White Tiger X are fierce enemies. They've got a serious score to settle. If White Tiger X wins this match, they'll battle the Eon Bladers in the next round...I figure that they'll win this match by shire determination to fight Kane's team."

"You're right, when those guys are resolute about something, there's no stopping them" Ray added.

"Does that mean we don't even have to watch the battle?" Tyson asked hopefully. Hiro nodded.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to try surfing today!" Max cheered.

"Maybe I'll try as well" Ray considered.

"I promised to help Mr. Dickinson edit the registration papers for the amateur teams" Hiro told. "They're competing today as well".

"I wonder why there's a spot in the finals reserved for _amateurs_" Tyson wondered.

"Amateur doesn't mean that they're bad, it just means that they aren't professional yet" Kenny explained.

"You guys were amateurs once to" Hilary added.

"Tyson's still an amateur" Kai remarked behind his back.

Hiro headed down to the Tower. As he entered, he was sure to flash his VIP card. Only the people who had those cards were allowed to enter moderately restricted areas in the Tower; all the coaches had one, except Boris and Pharoas obviously.

Mr. Dickinson's office was on the fourth floor of the Tower. The first floor was the lobby, the second and third floors were the largest ones that contained the two stadiums and floors five through eight were a mystery to him. He assumed that they must contain BBA records and other confidential information.

"I'm very glad you've came Hiro, this really is too much work for one person" Mr. Dickinson thanked. "I had asked Brad Best if he'd help me, but he's all talk, no action. He told me that he'd come over last night and aide me but never showed up".

Hiro gave an awkward look.

"What's wrong, Hiro?"

"Do you think that he's missing to?" Hiro asked concerned.

"I certainly hope not" Mr. Dickinson answered. "What I'd like you to do is go through this list; it has all the names of the competitors. Before we start working on the amateur team information, I'd like you list which team they fought and who was the victor of that match...except the ones who've yet to battle."

Mr. Dickinson left him alone in the small, messy office. Hiro's first task was pretty simple. He muttered the names of the people as he wrote down the information. "Hiro Granger's the coach, the team's Tyson Granger, Max Tate..."

It actually took longer than he expected. All these names...why did there have to be so many competitors? "Patrick Steele, Cameron Faire, Hunter Elson...Quinlan and Sarge _Dickinson_?"

He had to be seeing things...

Hiro rubbed his eyes and double checked the page, but he wasn't seeing things. "Mr. Dickinson doesn't have family, he told me so once!"

Hiro knew that Mr. Dickinson wouldn't lie to him. He put the finished page aside and figured that it was a typo.

But later on, when he was finished all the work, it still bothered him. Maybe Dickinson was a popular last name. Hiro couldn't think of anyone else with that name, though...if Mr. Dickinson did have a family, why on earth would he lie about it?

When he returned to the hotel, Tyson gave him the report and this afternoon's battle. "Oh, White Tiger X one hands down!" he said excitedly. "They were all pretty good matches, except the second one...Enrique didn't even fight back against Mariah. Probably because she's a girl"

"Did anyone watch the amateur matches?" Hiro asked hopefully.

"No way, we watched the real battles!" Tyson answered.

Hiro didn't bother to re-explain to his little brother that amateur didn't always mean weak. He had some things to ask. "Tyson do you know anything at all about Sarge?"

"The Barbarian guy? Only that he's the coach of the Barbarians and he has this dog named Fiasco."

"There's definitely more to that guy. Today when I was sorting through their personal information, I noticed that his last name is Dickinson! Do you think...?"

"Hiro, Mr. Dickinson told us that he doesn't have any family, remember?"

"I know, I know, but that guy seems to know a lot about the BBA, more than he's supposed to know. That would make sense if he was related to Mr. D"

"But he's not"

"Well I remain suspicious nonetheless"

"If it really bothers you, why don't you go ask him yourself?" Tyson suggested.

Hiro nodded in agreement.

Oliver was swimming in the hotel pool when Kai approached him with a strange question. "Oliver, can you translate the phrase "Le plage et le Tour Bruler?"

"You've come to the right person, because that's definitely French!" began Oliver. Well, 'le plage' means, the 'beach', and 'le tour' means 'the tower'. 'Bruler' is an adjective that means 'burned'. So all together that means..."

"The beach and the burned tower?" Kai asked expectantly. "The beach is obvious, since this is an island, but...the burned tower!" Kai immediately thought of the first BBA Tower that Mr. Dickinson spoke of in his letter, and how Thermolysis had burned it to the ground. The one person he'd met told him that the rundown place was a tourist attraction...it all made sense! That neighbourhood was made up of hotels and other fun things for the fans while they stayed to watch the matches. Mr. Dickinson hadn't mentioned that the old BBA Tower wasn't far from the new one. The only thing that didn't make sense was how Kai ended up there last night. Well at least part of this mystery was solved.

However, the word 'mystery' in this case, branches off into many different situations. There was the mystery of the whereabouts of Miguel, Claude, Aaron, Matilda and now Brad Best. There was the mystery of how Kai had ended up in the shady neighbourhood the previous evening. Now there was the rising suspicion about Sarge and his son Quinlan. As if everyone was keeping a secret...it was at times like these that Kai was lucky not to trust anybody but himself. As heartless as it may sound, it was the smartest action to take right now. Because things were going to get worse before they got better.

Kai left the pool area without even thanking the green-haired French boy. He was headed back to his room for a nap, which was quite unlike him, but he had to make up for his loss of sleep last night, not to mention the nightmares that had been keeping him awake lately.

"Hey, Hiro!" Hiro came to an abrupt stop and looked to his side. Sarge was standing on the other side of the street waving to him. The dog Fiasco barked as he stood faithfully beside his owner. "Did you hear the news? Your team against mine, tomorrow! That'll be an interesting battle, won't it! Don't expect to pull out a win, though!"

"Sarge, I've been meaning to talk with you all day!" Hiro called loudly, trying to yell over the noises made by passing vehicles.

"If you've got a bone to pick with my team, wait until tomorrow!" Sarge replied.

"It's not that, it's about a totally different subject!" Hiro called. "I want to ask you some personal questions! About your family, Sarge!"

Sarge's whole body froze in shock. He didn't reply.

"Could you meet me in the hotel lobby at 7:00 tonight?" Hiro asked.

"I'm...afraid I can't talk to you about my life, Hiro, that's not your business!" Sarge declined.

"I'm not going to tell anybody else!" Hiro promised, determined to get answers.

Sarge looked down, kicking at the sidewalk apprehensively. "Alright, if you insist. You know the parking lot behind the BBA Tower II? We'll talk there at eight. Don't bring your friends!"

After a long day of attempted surfing, Ray returned to the hotel, still soaked with ocean water. He had his shirt tucked under his arm, as it was also soaking wet. He hadn't worn it in the water, but Max threw it in anyway as a joke...that was followed by a sand fight. Tyson ended up with a lot in his eyes.

He was so tired...surfing took a lot of energy. Ray fell into one of the seats in the lobby, noticing that he'd been dripping water all over the floor while he was standing in the entrance.

The automatic sliding doors opened. Mariah, who was carrying three different bags, walked in. Ray could see it coming before it even happened; she slipped on the wet surface of the floor, dropping all of the bags, spilling many of their contents.

"Dang it..." she cursed, then got up and stared at the mess on the floor. She sighed and began cleaning it up.

Ray arose from his seat, got down on his knees and helped. After all, he was indirectly responsible. He picked up several things and sorted them into the bags. Mostly groceries but some other things to. Then he held out his hand and helped Mariah up.

"Thanks..." she said quietly. Both of them smiled shyly. Lee entered the room moments later; Ray dashed back to his seat.

"What yourself; the floor is wet" Ray said sternly. Lee glared at him in disgust. "I'm just saying..." Ray started. Lee grabbed his sister's arm and walked away.

"What's his problem?" Ray mumbled. He was just trying to be nice...but Lee still resented him.

"_I can't enter this tournament with you guys. I have to compete against you guys. It's really important, but I can't tell you why because it's classified..."_

"_That's right; you guys aren't good enough for me! Maybe if I join up with someone else, I'll actually have a chance at victory. I was better off with the Bladebreakers last time, and I'll be better off with them now!" _

Ray thought back to what he said and understood. He'd really insulted Lee and Gary. They had definitely told Mariah and Kevin exactly what he'd said and done. And the day before Mariah's Birthday too...now that he thought of it deeply, Ray had been really heartless and cold!

Did he even deserve to be forgiven after that? Ray wasn't sure. He longed to be back with White Tiger X. They'd given him a second chance and he'd blown it. He swore never to betray White Tiger X. He swore upon his life that he wouldn't ditch them ever again. But here he was now, fighting for the Bladebreakers and Mr. Dickinson...

There had to be some way to make them understand. If only he could tell them about Pharoas and Thermolysis and the BBA Tower I, but it was classified information. Ray just wished he could tell the world what had happened that fateful day many years ago...

Hiro arrived eight o'clock sharp, and Sarge was waiting for him in the empty parking lot as promised. For the first time, he was by himself; you'd almost never see Sarge without Fiasco or Quinlan by his side.

"'Evening, Hiro" Sarge greeted. "I'm almost glad you've came, because I've really wanted to get this off my tongue for some time now. You're alone, right, nobody followed you?"

"I'm positive, yeah" Hiro replied reassuringly. "I've also been waiting to ask this. Sarge, are you Mr. Dickinson's cousin, or nephew or something?"

"Nope" Sarge answered. "I'm his son. Let me explain"

"Dad used to own a small-scale company back home in Japan. Not quite a millionaire, but still pretty rich; he was a good guy. I remember, back when I was about three years old, he used to take me to the park every afternoon. We'd walk the dog and play on the swings, then I'd get tired and he'd let me ride on his shoulders on the way home. Yep, things were great way back then."

"Then Dad bought another company. He started to attend meetings every week, and then every few days and eventually he was hardly ever at home. And whenever Dad did happen to be around the house, he didn't bother spending any time with me or my Mom; he was only interesting in his finances"

"But things made a turn for the worse when he became chairman of the BBA. It happened when I was about eight years old. At first it seemed like every kid's dream; I got to see the best bladers' every match live, I was given all kinds of free Beyblade gear and my Dad was rich. Things weren't like that. I loved Beyblading, but there was a word that burns my ears to this very day: _rules._ Every night at the dinner table, I was given lectures of the official rules. I was told how I was supposed to blade; I had no freedom to try anything new. There always seemed to be something wrong with what I was doing. I've probably memorized every single one of the six-hundred rules and regulations..."

"Life wasn't fair...then Mom left. She was tired of Dad's ravings and lectures about money and rules. But she didn't take me with her; I had to brave this boring lifestyle. It was intolerable, mental anguish! I started to do bad things and get in trouble at school very frequently because of my irritation. I'd mess up Dad's documents and destroy his office angrily".

"One day when I was snooping through some old records, I found a folder with 'classified' printed in bold, red letters on the front. The contents of this folder were a typed document, a photo and a newspaper. The headline? _The BBA Tower Erupted in Flames of Rage._ It revealed all this information about the insane kid Pharoas, and monster that he called Thermolysis, the death toll of the fire; all this important stuff that nobody seemed to know a thing about."

"Dad was furious when he found out that I'd read that stuff. Not just furious, but nervous. Stanley Dickinson is trying to erase this event from history. It gives the BBA such a bad name that if this secret got out, it would bring the entire cooperation down...he'd be ruined. All of us would be ruined. Beyblade itself would be scarred!"

Hiro gasped. "Sarge, do you really think that this is what's going on?!"

"I know that this is what's going on, Hiro! They're trying to make sure that this generation never hears of this event! That's why Mr. Dickinson isn't going around telling this to just anybody. But...the people need to know"

"I understand why he's keeping this so hushed" Hiro commented. "It's a good thing that almost nobody knows about what happened".

"That's where I disagree" Sarge said sternly. "It's wrong to just erase an event from history. It's wrong to pretend that nothing happened. How can we learn from our mistakes if we just forget them? Think of all the people who are unaware of what Pharoas did those many, many years ago. Hiro, imagine what it would be like today if, for example, past generations erased World War One from history."

"Then...I guess the world would be unprepared for World War Two" Hiro answered.

"If we'd known about _this_ earlier, perhaps by know we could've been able to find a way to defeat Pharoas without having to break the bonds of other Beyblading Teams? Maybe we'd have learnt more about Thermolysis? I entered my team in this tournament to get on top, and announce to the world what Pharoas has done! What happened to their ancestors! It isn't fair to keep that secret from them any longer, Hiro. The truth must be told!"

"People won't handle the truth, Sarge...your father made a wise choice by keeping it a secret!"

Sarge glared at him. "I'm going to take any means necessary to win the match tomorrow. I have to. Please understand." Sarge parted in the opposite direction. Hiro stayed long after he'd left, deep in thought.

"I don't know what to think anymore. Telling the world would have its benefits; Ray's old team mates would probably forgive him, people would be more informed, but then again the BBA... and the sport of Beyblade as a whole would be in jeopardy" Hiro Granger didn't know whose philosophy to believe.

Tyson Granger, on the other hand, had not a concern in the world at that time. He'd returned to secret training spot for a third night. The area was even more covered in slashes and dents than the last time, but there was still the old dock, the old shop, the old drink machine and the young girl.

"Let it rip!" Tyson yelled. He launched Dragoon at the side of the pop machine. It made a dent in the side and the entire machine shook violently. It almost tipped over. Six drinks fell out of the machine.

"That's a new record" the girl said excitedly.

"It's probably not good to be wrecking that machine, though" Tyson said nervously. "It's owned by somebody, and when they see it in this shape..."

"Nobody _ever_ comes around here" the girl reassured. "This place was abandoned quite a long time ago"

"No wonder the pop's so flat" Tyson laughed. "We probably shouldn't be drinking this stuff is it's that old"

"It can't harm us, Tyson. As long as the cans were sealed, when nothing harmful could get in. Not to mention the protection of the machine"

"Well, I'm not afraid of getting sick anyways" Tyson said toughly. "By the way, you've been here every time I come to train. Why are you always here? What's your name?"

"I hang out here because it's quiet, peaceful...nobody else ever bothers to venture out this far" she answered.

"I do...don't you care?" Tyson added confusedly.

"Not really. I don't like attention very much, so I don't go downtown very often. Plus, I can see my _friend_ here"

Tyson grinned widely. He figured that she was referring to him. He thought that he was her 'friend'. That's certainly what it sounded like; but no, her 'friend' was something totally different.

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There you have it...Sarge's Story.

The next chapter is...well it's called **Grudge Match **and you can have fun guessing which grudge it is about.

Please R&R for me


	10. Grudge Match

**Grudge Match**

Tyson returned to the hotel that night feeling quite high and mighty; _he_ was a girl's special friend. He pranced through the sliding doors with a wide grin on his face. Ray was cleaning the floor with a mop.

"After the third person slipped, the hotel manager ordered me to clean up the water" groaned Ray. "Hey Tyson...what've you got to be happy about?"

"Nothing, nothing at all" Tyson sang. Ray looked at him suspiciously.

"You sure seem wound up" Ray commented. "Normally it's Max who's prancing around like this"

"Speaking of Max, is he already in bed?" Tyson asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Ray nodded. "As soon as I'm finished here, I'm going to. It's really late. Don't forget, we've got a match tomorrow!"

"We'd all better rest up...what about bro and Kai?" Tyson asked.

"Kai's probably on one of his nightly 'walks', and as for the coach, I've got no idea" Ray answered tiredly.

Raine entered the room in her trademark cautious manner. She always looked both ways before going anywhere, as if she was an escaped convict on the run. Although she tiptoed towards her bed silently, Pharoas still noticed her.

"You're certainly up at a late hour" he growled. "Normally, I'd only expect that sort of incompetence by Blaise...normally he's the one out late with fans"

"I....I...was out...training, Lord Pharoas..." Raine answered franticly.

Pharoas laughed. "Come one now, only my underlings call me that...you, my girl, are of much more importance than I am. Just coach is fine, or Pharoas; you can call me anything except Felix".

Raine's expression did not change; still a look of fear and worry.

"Lighten up, Raine. There's no way you're very happy if you always have such a look on your face. I'm sure people would think much more of you if you smiled sometimes"

"I'm _not_ very happy" Raine said grimly. "Coach...I feel so sorry for people."

"What exactly do you mean? There's nothing wrong with feeling sorry sometimes"

"I feel sorry for my unaware team mates. I feel sorry for all the people we're deceiving. I feel sorry for the kids whose Beyblades we destroyed today. I feel sorry...for the people on the Island"

Pharoas scowled at her for her last comment. "We will not discuss those people! I'm willing to help you as much as I can without crossing over to that subject...I'm sure we both prefer not to talk about it."

"You're right, it'll be easier to ignore it if I don't think about it" Raine agreed.

"Go off to bed...and no more late nights, understand?"

"Understood, Lord...I mean Coach Pharoas.

Raine, Tyson and Ray all went to bed at around the same time. Tyson and Ray got in a good three hours of sleep before being awoken again at the crack of dawn by a rather disturbing series of noises.

The first was a loud crack, like the sound of a whip. That woke everybody on that floor of the hotel. Seconds later there was a bang, followed by an ear-splitting scream. Then it stopped, and then sounded again, then silence. About a minute after that, another loud crash.

Nearly everybody in the hotel had awakened by then, and had dressed and gone in their hallways to investigate.

"Did you guys hear all that?" Hilary asked nervously.

"Every second of it" Kenny answered, also in fear.

"What the heck's going on?" Max yawned.

"That bang...do you think it was a gunshot?" Emily whispered.

"It didn't sound like a gunshot" Eddy answered surely. "I've watched enough episodes of Law and Order to know a gunshot".

"I want to know who was screaming" Ray said seriously.

"Oh my gosh!" Someone exclaimed from further down the hall. Everyone looked to that direction. It was Patrick. He and Hunter, Sarge and Quinlan were standing around where the door to Cameron's room used to be. The door was lying on the floor, with a gigantic slash and a hole burned through where the doorknob was; the scorched piece of metal was also lying on the ground.

"Someone...something...broke in Cam's room!" Quinlan shrieked.

Kai rushed over to observe. "How on earth could anything do that?"

"Where is Cam?!" Sarge demanded.

"He's not there..." Quinlan answered, trembling.

Every Beyblader on the hotel was crowded around the disaster. Tyson gazed at the slash on the door in shock. "Those slashes..." he thought to himself, "They are exactly like the ones I find at my secret place...what could this mean?"

"Everyone start searching the hotel for Cameron!" Sarge ordered.

The Blitzkrieg Boys remained there after everyone else had gone investigating.

"That's one big cut" Wyatt said in awe.

"Well I bet that I could make a better one, just watch me!" Tala said competitively. He took out his Beyblade and launcher and aimed it at the wall.

"Don't waste your time impressing Junior, we've got work to do" said Brian.

"Junior?!" Tala asked. It was then that he noticed several things different about Wyatt; his team mates weren't pushing him around, and he was wearing an outfit identical to Tala's but smaller and instead of orange, green sleeves and stripe.

"That's their new name for me" Wyatt proudly declared.

"What's...going on?!" Tala demanded angrily.

"It's not my fault, Boris gave me this outfit!" Wyatt defended.

"That foolish old man is trying to replace me..." Tala growled quietly.

"What's that?" Wyatt asked innocently.

"Nothing!"

Sarge searched the lobby franticly, finding no sign of Cam. He huffed and panted, as he'd been running around the hotel looking everywhere. He'd have resort to the last possible idea; asking to postpone the match. He inserted a quarter into the hotel's payphone and dialled a complicated number.

"I need you guys to postpone the Bladebreakers versus Barbarians match until tomorrow" he panted desperately.

"Who is this, and how did you get this number?" Mr. Dickinson asked on the other line.

"Cameron Faire is missing and I want an entire 24 hours to search for him" Sarge requested.

"Please, who is this?!"

"Coach of the Barbarians, Sarge!"

"I'm afraid I can't change the date of this match because we've already sold all the seats to it!"

"Rule 104: If an accident occurs, the scheduled date of a match may vary"

"How did you...?"

"Rule 10: A coach's request will be honoured by the BBA"

"Sarge...I've already explained..."

"Rule 36: A team may be issued a judge-approved handicap under certain circumstances"

"Sarge stop it!" Mr. Dickinson said frustrated.

"Please Dad, I need this..." Sarge begged, his hand shaking as he clutched the receiver.

Mr. Dickinson hung up.

"Are they going to postpone the match?" Quinlan asked hopefully.

"They won't listen to me!" Sarge hollered. Quinlan jumped back.

"We'll give you your twenty-four hours" Hunter said from across the lobby. "We can go to the match without you. You just keep looking for Cam".

"No Hunter, I can't leave you guys all alone" Sarge objected.

"We're all mature teens, we can handle the match" Hunter assured. Then he looked down at Quinlan, who was tying his shoelaces together, giggling loudly. "Well, I guess Quinlan isn't mature nor a teenager...but Pat and I can win this match in two rounds"

Sarge eventually agreed to this. Hunter and Patrick were more than old enough to take care of themselves and little Quinlan. He ran out the doors and began his search, but on the way out, he dropped something. It had fallen out of his pocket.

Only Quinlan noticed; he went to pick it up when the others weren't looking.

"You guys have to promise not to force my son into doing anything extreme, alright?" Sarge asked. "And don't use any of those special moves. You haven't mastered them yet."

"We promise" the two boys agreed.

Before the match, Tyson made a quick stop to his secret training spot, but the nice girl wasn't there; maybe she only appeared at night, like the stars in the night sky that shone down on them each time they'd met. Tyson planned on inviting her to his battle. Maybe it was better that he couldn't find her.

The only person he'd told about his new friend was Max; Tyson didn't trust anyone other than him. If he told someone like Hilary, for example, she'd strip the story down, take out important pieces and edit in her side of the story she had no idea about.

Then she'd tell Hiro, and he'd get mad at Tyson for 'wasting his time when he could be training instead'.

Kenny and Ray probably wouldn't take much concern in this, Kai wouldn't have even bothered to listen to the story about the dark-haired girl who hung out at the abandoned dock.

Eventually the media would get a hold of this and blow the story way out of proportion like they do to all celebrities who are seen with anyone from the opposite gender.

Not that this mystery girl was Tyson's girlfriend or anything, but they'd get the wrong impression.

While DJ said the opening comments of the match and described the rocky stadium, the present members of the Barbarians and Fiasco tried to remain calm and confident; despite the fact that they were about to be pitted against a world famous team and the unsettling feeling that their comedic team mate Cameron was missing.

The recent disappearance of so many people was a very peculiar mystery...they only knew one thing, and that was that it was imperative that they located the missing people as soon as they possibly could. The fearsome slash on Cameron's door could only mean wicked things.

They weren't the only ones who were preoccupied; Hiro was deep in thought about what Sarge had declared he would do after he won the tournament. What he didn't seem to understand was that people were better off _not _knowing what happened at the BBA Tower I. Pharoas had terrorized innocent spectators and Beybladers on that fateful day. People were injured and killed all because of an evil Beyblader and an equally dark Bit Beast.

If the people were to find out about all this, they'd be horrified! The world would look down on Beyblading and see it with a new perspective. They would not see the fun game that everyone enjoyed, they see Beyblades as fearful war tools. Weapons of mass destruction, if I daresay.

Hiro wasn't about to let that happen; he'd push the Bladebreakers as far as he'd have to defeat the Barbarians. Even if he did feel a bit sorry for them today, victory was imperative.

"Tyson, I want you to go first for a change, just to ensure a win" Hiro instructed.

"So you don't think any of us will win?" Max asked..

"That's not what I said" Hiro answered, "I just...never mind"

"Tyson...that's not good" Patrick said nervously.

"I'll go" Hunter said sternly.

"3...2...1...Let it Rip!"

"Go Dragoon!" Tyson ordered as he powerfully launched his blade. Hunter's followed, just missing Tyson's blade in midair. Hunter growled angrily as Dragoon flew past his first attack.

Both blades charged at each other when they landed. Dragoon and the other blade were certainly matched up well in attack power; neither one backed down for several minutes of attack.

"This guy's much tougher than I thought...maybe I should use the engine gear" Hunter pondered. He did so, ordering his blade to initiate the engine gear.

It spun much more rapidly, but Tyson's did the same and matched it's newfound strength.

"I've countered all these tricks before" Tyson bragged. "If you want to stand a chance, you'd better pull a unique trick out of your hat"

Hunter grunted animal-like again. It seemed to be what he did when frustrated. He did have plenty of other tricks, but Sarge had specifically told him not to use them today...he made a promise. But he did what had to be done.

"This is for Cam!" he hollered. "Ragnarox, Rapid Fire attack!"

The Brown Beyblade dished a huge blow to Dragoon, then disappeared. Then it reappeared and hit it again, then vanished, then did that continuously until it was nearly invisible all the time. It was damaging Tyson's blade repeatedly so fast, like a machine gun.

"Get your blade out of his range, Tyson!" Hiro ordered. "He's not going to get any weaker no matter how long you take the damage from his attack!"

"He's not letting me go..." Tyson gasped. Each time he tried to avoid the blows, they'd just get stronger. "Dragoon, emerge and attack!"

The battered blade glowed and Dragoon rose up out of it. It made it's trademark war cry and glared viciously at the opposing blade.

"Ragnarox, drag him down!" Hunter yelled confidently. Out of his blade rose an undeterminable golden being. Tyson couldn't quite make out what it was, but it was powerful; it wrapped its tail around Dragoon's neck and threw it to the ground. The entire arena shook. A chunk of the roof crumbled and fell to the ground a few feet away from DJ. He jumped back to dodge it. A large crack appeared on the floor, between Hunter and the rest of his team. Luckily, the tremors stopped before it got too big.

Tyson looked to the stadium, horrified that his Beyblade was immobile.

"This match once again has been one by Hunter!" DJ announced, surprised. Everyone else was just as shocked; Tyson had been defeated on his first battle this tournament.

"That Hunter's really tough...I guess I'll have to train at my secret spot more often and harder next time..." Tyson admitted. He was taking the loss surprisingly well as opposed to Hiro, who was throwing punches at the wall.

"How...could you let him...beat you?!" he demanded fiercely.

"I guess I wasn't prepared!" Tyson snarled back.

"I'll make some adjustments to his blade, but Hiro, you don't have to get so angry!" Kenny said.

"That's not at all like you, Hiro" Ray added.

"Hunter, Sarge told you to not use that attack!" Patrick scolded his mysterious team mate, with his funny accent. "Take a look at what happened to the place here! The roof's broke now!"

"Daddy's gonna kill you..." Quinlan laughed, not really meaning it.

"We _cannot_ let any of them beat us, Pat, it's more important than this place" Hunter answered. Pat understood now. "So Pat, don't hesitate to use Locktex's special powers is you get in trouble"

"I can't use that...I don't know how..." Patrick whined.

"You'll use it right away!" Hunter ordered. Pat nodded nervously.

Next up was Max and Pat. After watching Tyson's loss, Max has a bit nervous to battle this mysterious team, but he was even more afraid of what Hiro might do to him if he lost. Hiro was acting real strange today.

"3...2...1..Let it rip!"

"Locktex, Everrain attack!" Patrick closed his eyes and screamed right away, as if he was afraid of what would happen next.

"Isn't it a bit early to be using a Bit Beast?" Max thought confusedly.

Pat's Beyblade leapt into the air and glowed and eerie light blue. As it spun midair, water began dripping off it Then another weird being, this one blue, emerged from the Barbarian's Beyblade. Water flowed off it like a waterfall, rapidly filling the stadium.

"Draciel, before it's too late!" Max called. He made a smart move; Draciel jumped on the water's surface so that it wouldn't be drowned when it deepened, which it did very fast. In less than a minute, the stadium had overflowed with water.

"Oh man, I'm wearing my new shoes today..."DJ complained as the water crept up to his feet.

"Patrick, I'm getting wet!" Quinlan laughed. The dog Fiasco began lapping up the water with his tongue. Quinlan splashed him playfully.

"What the heck is that guy trying to accomplish by flooding this place?" Ray asked angrily as he to got wet.

"Either he's trying to drown everybody or he just has no idea what he's doing" Kai answered reasonably.

Patrick stared helplessly at the mess of water. Then he saw a spiral appear in the middle. He knew what was going to happen next. "Hunter, you idiot! I tells you I can't do it and you make me do it anyhow! Now look at what happens! You know what comes next in the attack and people are going to be hurt"

Patrick was fed up enough with this. "That's it, I forfeit this match! Max wins, I've had enough!"

"Patrick, NO!" Hunter screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Finally...Max wins this match!" DJ announced. "Now someone get out here and clean up this disgrace! Jeeze!"

"Why did he give up...he was winning; I had no idea what to do!" Max wondered. Then he looked up. The strange Bit Beast was still there.

"Locktex, it's over!" Patrick ordered. The monster turned and glared at Pat. But it did not cease. "Locktex, get back in the blade! No more water!"

Finally, the creature called Locktex returned to the Beyblade.

"Did you see that? The Bit Beast wasn't listening to him!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Patrick mustn't be worthy of possessing Locktex" Kai explained. "That is why it attempted to destroy this place. The water wasn't what its attack was supposed to be. It just did it defensibly. Same with Hunter's...although it did what Hunter wanted by going after Dragoon, it did serious damage elsewhere"

Kai pointed to where a piece of the ceiling missing.

"Sarge must've just given them these Bit Beasts so they had a better chance of winning...he just wants to win..."Hiro grumbled.

BBA employees brought out some strange machines and began to drain out the foot-deep water before the next round.

"Patrick, you are a...I can't believe...you don't know what you're doing!" Hunter yelled.

"Locktex would've flooded the entire place if I hadn't have stopped it!" Patrick explained.

"A small price to pay for victory! Now who's going to save our team?!" Hunter asked. Both older boys looked over to where Fiasco was running in circles.

Quinlan was chasing him around and kicking water at him. The animal barked and Quinlan laughed hysterically.

"Splash splash, splash!" Quinlan sang. Then he tripped and got his entire front soaking wet. "Hahaha! Let's go swimming! Splash!"

"Oh gosh..." Patrick mumbled.

"Yeah. Victory's definite" Hunter said in an incredibly sarcastic tone.

"Hey I wasn't paying attention. Who won?" Quinlan asked.

"Quinlan...could you get over here?" Hunter asked.

"Sarge said..." Patrick began to object.

"I don't care what Sarge said, I've dedicated my life to Beyblading and I'll take my chances with him if it's the only way to win" Hunter said desperately.

"What's going on?" Quinlan asked.

"I'm still not sure about this..."Patrick moaned.

"Not sure about what? What!? I wanna know! Patty, what are you not sure about?"

"Quinlan, did you bring your Beyblade with you today?" Hunter asked.

"I did...but I dropped it in the water somewhere over there...Hey! Fiasco has it!" Quinlan darted over to the dog and chased him around again. "Give that back, Hunty wants to see it!"

Kai looked over to the struggling Barbarians. "Are they actually going to make the baby battle?" he asked.

"He's five, Kai" Max corrected.

"He is a member of their team, so yes" Hiro answered. "And Kai's going to battle him."

"What!?" You want me to battle that little shrimp?"

"And no matter what, you _have_ to win" Hiro added.

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There you have it! That took such a long time to write --

The next chapter's called **Anguish. **Sometimes people cross the line; and someone's really going to cross the line between what's tough and what's just plain evil in this chapter...

I'm also working on a horror fic with a friend of mine called _The photographs._ I probably won't post it until I'm finished this one, though. And maybe I'll do a sequel to Go Ahead! When that's finished as well.

If you have free time, visit My Blog!


	11. Anguish

"_I don't know how I got this way, I'll never be alright, so I'm breaking the habit tonight!"_

Sorry, I'm kinda listening to music and writing at the same time.

Hunter: You're an idiot.

Alrighty, just ignore him...he doesn't know what he's talking about.

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**Anguish**

"Quinlan...I think the water may have ruined your blade's engine gear" Hunter told him sadly.

"Don't you guys worry; I have a secret weapon today!" Quinlan announced. He pulled a silver Beyblade and an eerie metal armband, with red jewels incrested on it, out off his pocket. "Daddy dropped it this morning! It looks expensive...I'm gonna use the Beyblade and wear the bracelet!"

"...What is it exactly?" Patrick asked confusedly.

"I don't know...but the metal armband seems to somehow have a connection with the blade" Hunter said upon close inspection.

"Maybe Quinlan shouldn't use it then" Patrick said.

"Don't worry, Patty!" Quinlan said with confidence. "I'll win for the team! Daddy's gonna be proud when I beat Bladebreaker face-paint guy!"

"Oh no...he's going up against Kai!?" Patrick exclaimed.

Kai stepped up to the stadium, as did his five year old opponent Quinlan. The soaking wet dog followed and lay down behind him.

At this time, most of the water had been cleaned up. Only small puddles remained, including one in the middle of the rough-terrain stadium.

"It's time for the final round, ladies and gentlemen! The winner will advance to the quarter finals! So Let It Rip!"

Kai launched his blade as he normally would; Quinlan did a smooth front flip and then launched his. The crowd cheered at his amusing stunt.

"If that impresses them, wait until they get a load of Kai" Kai sneered confidently.

"Remember; give it everything you've got to win this match!" Hiro yelled.

"I don't need to...this kid's a little wimp" Kai answered with the same confidence.

And he had reason to be confident, because Quinlan wasn't fairing very well against him so far. Dranzer had a huge advantage already, and Kai hadn't even attacked yet.

"Attack him, come on!" Quinlan ordered. His blade bashed into Kai's but hadn't even near shattered his defences. It actually made his own blade fly backwards and crash against a rock.

Suddenly, Quinlan had difficulty standing up. He panted just trying to stay up. "What's...going on?"

"Time to finish this match..." Kai said. "Attack him now!"

Dranzer hit the blade again. Before it touched the ground, Dranzer hit it once more. Then again and again...Kai was definitely winning this. Then someone screamed. Kai looked across the stadium. Quinlan was lying on the ground.

"Stop! Stop it please! My...head! Ach!" Quinlan wailed.

"What's wrong?" Patrick called.

"I have...no clue but it hurts!" Quinlan screamed loudly.

"What on earth is happening to the little guy?" DJ asked with unusual concern.

Quinlan rose back to his feet, still breathing deeply. "I'm okay...but that was weird..."he huffed.

"That's it, Quinlan; show them that you can do this!" Hunter cheered.

"Hunter..." Patrick began.

"Just stop worrying!" Hunter said roughly.

"But...but what just happened back there?" Patrick asked. "He suddenly started feeling great pain out of nowhere"

"He doesn't know what he's going...at him again, Dranzer!" Kai ordered.

The blue Beyblade that contained Dranzer rammed powerfully into Quinlan's again.

"I can't counter...ach!" Quinlan yelped again.

"What is it now?!" Patrick yelled.

Quinlan clutched to his chest. "It's hurting again...stop, please! I don't...know...why, but it just hurts!"

"You have to put a stop to this, tell DJ that we give up!" Patrick repeated.

"We can't back down, no!" Hunter objected again. "As long as Quinlan's blade is spinning, he's still in this! It's what Sarge would've wanted"

"What's wrong with you, kid?" Kai asked the five year old. "You could at least try to face me with a little dignity. Pull yourself together!"

"He has a point!" Hunter agreed. Patrick began to worry and complain to him again, but Hunter responded the same each time.

"I...can still beat Bladebreaker face paint guy if...I just ignore the hurting..." Quinlan said fiercely as he stood back up again, but Kai launched another attack.

"My head!" Quinlan wailed again. "It's hurting now! I..."

Then the boy dropped to his knees. "I can't....I..."

"Stop this match right now!" Patrick yelled worriedly.

"How many times have I told you...Quinlan can do this?" Hunter continued to object to Patrick's pleas for surrender. But now, even he was in doubt. This strange thing kept happening to Quinlan each time Dranzer attacked. It didn't make sense...because the Beyblade itself wasn't taking any damage. Why was Quinlan suffering instead?

Quinlan was now lying on the floor, arms wrapped tightly around his own body, and was constantly screaming. The audience was starting to get freaked out as well.

"What is he doing to the little guy?"

"Someone help him! Something's not right!"

"Why isn't the leader forfeiting?"

"It's whenever Kai attacks his Beyblade..." Hunter realized. "I can't imagine why this is happening..."

Everyone realised it soon enough.

"Kai, you have to stop attacking him!" Max called with great concern. "Don't touch Quinlan's blade another time!"

"How do you expect me win, not even being able to touch him?" Kai yelled back angrily.

"But he's getting hurt! That's cruel!"

"Then why doesn't Hunter just tell him to stop?!"

"Hunter's too stubborn for that; he's not going to ever let Quinlan stop!"

"So what do you want me to do, Max?!"

"Forfeit! Leave him alone, Kai!"

"Don't talk like it's my fault this kid gets hurt! Does it look like I'm aiming for him here?"

Saying that, Kai launched another brutal attack on the little boy's Beyblade. He pinned it to a rock in the dish. Tiny bits of the Beyblade were being chipped off from the rock. Quinlan shrieked in pain.

He just dropped to the floor as if someone had dropped an anchor to his back.

"Don't do it!" Max yelled again.

"Max, he has to win this match or else they're advancing and we lose!" Hiro objected sternly. But even he was beginning to see what was going on. Quinlan was in agony. For a reason they couldn't figure out, he had just no will left to fight, let alone to stand up. And with each time Dranzer dealed damage to his blade, it got worse. Yet his Beyblade was showing no sign of defeat. It looked brand new, even though Dranzer had been beating down on it.

"I...don't know what to tell you anymore..." Hiro sighed.

"I want to advance to the next round but this...isn't right at all!" Tyson agreed.

"We know that this isn't your fault, Kai, but you need to back away!" Ray called after.

Kai thought for a moment. Was this the right thing to do?

Most definitely not.

He had not been taught to give mercy, no matter how loud his opponents begged for it.

His rigorous training wasn't going to pay off if he was sympathetic for a five year old who couldn't blade.

And he definitely wasn't planning on surrendering to one.

Ray could see the gleam in Kai's eyes and knew exactly what he was going to do next. "Kai...don't do it!" he yelled.

Kai ignored him completely. He ignored everyone; all distractions would just make this harder. He removed his white scarf and took a few deep breaths. "Dranzer, Scorch Flash attack!"

The blade glowed its traditional red colour before Dranzer emerged. Quinlan gazed weakly up at the Phoenix figure. Then he looked further to Kai; he was laughing hysterically to drown out his team mates' yells. The entire crowd gasped and the attack was launched on Quinlan's blade.

The last thing the boy saw before he blacked out was a wall of flames.

A wall of flames that encircled the entire dish. It was no longer possible to see Dranzer or either of the Beyblades. It looked like anything would be burnt to charcoal.

But not Quinlan's Beyblade. It was still spinning; slower than before, but spinning nonetheless.

Quinlan himself way lying motionless on his back. The front of hair was scorched by the fire, and there were black marks on his face, but it was clear that he was very pale.

"Oh my......we need medics out here!" DJ called, astonished.

Patrick and Hunter stared without saying a word. Hiro had his head in his hands, wondering how to react to this situation. The rest of the team was also breathless.

"Why isn't that pathetic little blade done yet!?" Kai yelled frustrated.

Suddenly, Sarge appeared in the top row of the stands. Somehow, he figured out what was going on and arrived in the nick of time.

"The blade will continue to spin as long as the bearer of that bracelet is alive! Who's wearing the bracelet?!" Then he looked down at the floor in horror. His young son was lying motionless on the floor.

"I've got to finish this now..." Kai was quietly. While everyone's attention was on the Sarge, he started towards one final attack.

"Didn't you hear him?" Max called, being the only one who noticed. "If you defeat that blade, it means Quinlan will be killed!"

Ignore him...shut out all background thoughts, it will only make this tougher...

But he was stopped. Only a foot away from the weakened Beyblade, Kai's blade was stopped; pinned to the spot by two familiar blades. Everyone else took a sigh of relief.

Ray and Tyson stood boldly near the stadium, boldly but also with looks of great disgust.

"Quit it, you heard what Sarge said!" Tyson repeated Max's statement.

"How can someone die from a Beybattle?!" Kai asked doubtfully.

"Don't you remember the BBA Tower I?" Ray yelled back angrily. The whole crowd began whispering again.

"BBA Tower I? I've never heard of that place..."

"Did someone die? I don't like the sounds of that..."

"Ray! You're not supposed to let that information slip!" Hiro called quietly.

"I'm sorry..." Ray called back.

"That's it...I'm going to forfeit this right this instant!" Sarge yelled furiously. "I'm not going to let my son battle with people who are trying to commit murder!"

"I guess that means that this match goes to Kai!" DJ concluded. The normally cheerful crowd booed and yelled offensive things. The Bladebreakers had never been looked down on by fans before. It was very unsettling to them.

"What's their problem?" Kai asked sarcastically.

"You're their problem, Kai!" Tyson snapped back at him.

"I didn't do anything!"

"The only thing that you didn't do was listen to what people were saying! Apparently you couldn't _hear_ what Max and Sarge and Quinlan were screaming to you!"

"I'm not deaf, Tyson! Of course I _heard _them, I just didn't _listen_ to them!" Kai's very unintelligent statement almost sounded like one you'd normally hear from Tyson. Kai himself was surprised.

"It still wasn't the right thing to do" Max added. The entire team walked away from him. He watched some stretcher-bearers carry off Quinlan. The dog stayed behind and growled fiercely at Kai. The rest of the Barbarians followed the medics.

Everyone saw the match and nobody really knew what had happened. They all placed the blame on Kai. Only one person understood...Pharoas, who had just finished watching it on TV.

"Garrett, make a call to Mendoza and tell him that we're finished using the electricity" Pharoas asked politely. Garrett took out a cell phone and dialled a long and complicated number.

"Do you...have any idea why he suffered like that?" Raine asked, completely stunned after watching a little kid suffer. "I know that it couldn't have been Kai. He doesn't have the power to do that."

Pharoas laughed at her last comment. "You certainly know your place, my Raine. And I know exactly what happened."

"Could you tell us?" Garrett asked curiously.

"Only if you don't say anything to Pedro or Blaise; they still haven't caught on to what we're doing" Pharoas began.

"It's called a Fusion Blade. It's an artifact; nobody's sure where it originated from or why it was even made, but it can do incredible things when used properly. There is a sacred link between that blade and the bracelet Quinlan was wearing. The link is very powerful...I should know, I've used it."

"I've heard this story before..." Raine sighed. Garrett continued to listen intentively.

"Those artifacts once belonged to me. I used them in battle many times. With it, I was actually able to communicate with the sacred spirit that resided in my Blade, good old Thermolysis."

"That's insane..." Garrett said in awe.

"That is how I accomplished the incredible feat of releasing Thermolysis from it's blade. Upon freeing it, I commanded it to destroy the building, which it bravely did. Then, also as told, it hid itself deep within the earth."

"If it's so great, then how come Quinlan nearly got killed?" Garrett asked.

"There's more to using it than just putting on a bracelet...there's a procedure that's required to do something like that. The blade's ancient powers did create a link between the Beyblade and its user; but since the boy did not use it properly, for some reason, the entire blade's damage was re-directed to him...fascinating..."

"Wait, wait...so Thermolysis still exists somewhere?" Garrett continued his bombardment of annoying questions.

"I'm not going to grant you _that_ much info, Garrett." Pharoas said in a darker tone.

"So the Fusion Blade belongs to you; how come Quinlan had it?"

"After they locked up me, they took it away, but I have no idea how a five year old got his tiny hands on it...perhaps I should ask him"

"I really don't think he's in any condition to talk right now" Garrett pointed out the obvious.

Kai returned to his room by himself. A few people he passed in the halls gave him the familiar glare that he'd been seeing all day now.

The realization that he's almost murdered a five year old hadn't hit him until he returned and sat on his own for a long time.

He stared into the bathroom mirror, gazing deep into his own eyes. Realizing the coldness of the young man he'd become; colder and harsher than the winters he's grew up in.

"What the heck has happened to me?"

Kai laid down on his bed and closed his eyes tightly. He saw flashbacks of the fight. He heard himself barking out orders to keep attacking. Then he looked down to the terrified boy on the floor across the stadium. It was actually painful to look back.

"Please...please stop it...hurts so much..."

Kai forced his eyes open like he was waking from a nightmare.

It had always been his goal to be the most powerful Blader in the work; to strike fear into the hearts of all enemies. And at any cost. He thought that he was willing to sacrifice everything for this kind of power. He put so much blood, sweat and tears into his vigorous training. Now he was there.

He fought mercilessly against his foe and etched the pain into everyone's souls. He'd ignored his foe's beg for mercy.

That was how he was; he would've never backed down or given anything less than his all. Kai had attained his goal.

Why then, did it suddenly feel so horrible?

Garrett received a call back from Pharoas' contact named Mendoza. "Coach, he claims that their no good," he explained to his master. "They aren't working hard enough. Can't, according to him. They just aren't tough enough, and there's not enough of them. What do you suggest we do?"

Pharoas responded quickly, but unpredictably. "You and Raine are going out tonight"

"What the...?"

"Don't be funny; you know what I mean. Go fetch me...two strong people. For a job interview."

"Job interview?"

"You ask too many questions. About things you already know the answer to...you're getting quite annoying" Pharoas commented.

"Thanks a bunch" Garrett thanked sarcastically.

"Don't talk back to me! Should I sent _you_ to Mendoza instead? Huh?"

"Pedro talks back to you all the time, and you don't seem to care..."

"There's a reason for that. I don't want him to get suspicious, Garrett...you knew that already, did you not?"

Garrett sighed and turned away. On his way out, he noticed that Raine was still there and had been watching the entire time.

"I thought you'd gone to bed" Garrett said.

Raine smiled sneakily. "You just didn't notice me before now, since I'm so quiet. People always tell me that".

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That's a wrap for this chapter. The next one is going to be a two-part chapter called **it's not over until it's over.**I originally planned it as being one chapter, but since two large events happened in it, I decided to make some changes and slice it in two.

I hope you like the story so far...we're about a third's way through.

I'm still pretty positive about making a sequel after this story's done. I just need to decide which ending I like best and type it out; because you see, everything I write, I've gone through hundreds of times in my head. I've pretty much had this story finished in my head since grade 5, but I wanted to wait until I was older and better at writing before I started typing it out, and the first four chapter's have been typed out since last February but I didn't post them until recently. Why?

Well before, I didn't have my own computer and all of my reviews would've gone straight to my mom's email and she would've read them all. I am a bit weird; you see, I don't normally let anyone I personally know (except my little brother) read my stories because If they don't like them, well, there goes my self esteem out the window. And my friends all think that Beyblade is gay...so I'd much rather not have their opinions.

(Plus my best friend thinks that I'm a real poor author. But I don't care XP)

So once again, visit My Blog if you're bored and you want something to do. It's at 


	12. It's not over until it's over, Part 1

Hiya, welcome back.

Just to make it clear. I've noticed that some things I may have stated make you think it seems this way, but I promise, this story will **not**be Ray/Salima! Heck no! Just wanted to make that clear. I'm sorry, I can't tell you why, let's just say...that there's something way too funny about Salima. Something my cousin stated that is just too hysterical. Sorry if that's what you wanted. I won't be bashing Salima, though, so a fan of hers could probably still read through the story peacefully.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**It's not over until it's overPart one:**

**Without conclusion**

The remaining hours of the day were very sombre; Kai sat in his room alone, The Barbarians and devastated Sarge sat next to the still unconscious Quinlan's hospital bed and everyone else was deep in thought.

But when all the lights went out shortly after a cold midnight, two bladers on a mission came out to begin their search. As much as neither of them liked it, they had to kidnap two strong people. Not only did they dislike it because it was unfair, but also because they had to get _two strong people_ on their own in the middle of the night.

Physically, Garrett and Raine were not very strong. Sure, they were extremely quick minded and skilled Beybladers, but if neither of them were likely to win a fistfight.

To their advantage, they'd done this sort of thing twice before.

Pharoas' scientist had prepared a draft which weakened the drinker's body and mind, almost putting their minds to sleep. In this state, they could still walk and speak and listen, but their judgement was extremely impaired. The drinker would follow almost any command but wouldn't be aware of what's going on.

In that state, it would be easy to 'kidnap' somebody; they wouldn't object or even know what was happening. You could literally lead them wherever you wanted.

But the effects of this draft only lasted a couple of hours. Then the person would awake with no recollection of what happened.

All Garrett and Raine had to do was catch their victim alone and force the liquid down their throats; or slip in into another drink. And since it was 12 o'clock in the evening, they had to go with plan A.

Before they began, Garrett visited a variety store and purchased a Beyblade magazine. It claimed to have had summaries from every match in the tournament since yesterday. He and his team mate sat down on a bench and began flipping through the pages until they found what they were looking for.

An almost complete list of all the competing teams, even the amateur ones. It included the teams' names, the coaches' names and the team members and head shots of each. However, the list was missing pictures of Velocity of Light; good thing for them.

"Alright, who's the tough guys here..." Raine mumbled as they examined each person's identity.

"How about Tyson; he's a champion and I'm he's probably a hard worker..." Garrett considered.

"Not him...uh...too many people would be upset!" she added quickly.

"But the Bladebreakers represent the BBA...Pharoas would be very happy if he got him. A bet that if we brought him the former world champion, we wouldn't even have to get a second person"

"But I don't really want to...there are many other people he'd like to see instead."

Garrett looked at her confusedly. "If you insist. How about Kai?"

"I don't think Pharoas wants _him_" Raine objected, shaking her head.

Garrett frowned. "Well how about Kane then? Do you have a problem with Kane?!"

"I'm...not okay with taking any of these people. I hate this part of the job."

"Kane it is. And now we need someone else" Garrett said angrily.

They looked through the remaining candidates. Raine _did_ appear to have a problem with everyone.

"Not Ray...I don't think we'd be able to get him to do anything..."

"Is Max really that strong? And besides, his mom's here and a don't want to see her get all upset..."

"I don't even know who Michael is, but he doesn't sound like a hard worker. I knew a boy named Michael once and he was lazy..."

"Well then who _do_ you want to kidnap here? Please decide already, we haven't got all night!" Garret said frustrated. He shoved the magazine into Raine's face, crossed him arms and pouted.

"I can't decide, I hate doing this" Raine repeated. Garrett growled angrily.

After much debate, they chose their second unfortunate target; and a half hour later, he'd be their captive.

While walking down the halls with their two dazed captives, Garrett tripped over one of his shoelaces and fell to the floor. Hearing the commotion right outside her room, Hilary awoke and decided to check out what was going on.

Raine continued down the hall with the other two boys while Garrett was still in the floor complaining of a sprained ankle.

When Hilary opened the door, the last thing she expected to see was a hooded boy lying on the floor. When Garrett saw her, he sprang up with his other foot and dusted himself off.

"I'm perfectly fine, nothing's wrong...go back to bed" he said desperately.

"What exactly are you doing here this late at night?" Hilary asked with usual suspicion.

Raine darted back to Garrett to cover up for him, but Garrett already had a plan. He quickly put his arm around Raine and put on a happy face.  
"Yeah, we're just going for a stroll" he explained. "A friend three floors up was having a party but we decided to wander away. I tripped a second ago"

Raine glared at him. Then, playing her role, waved shyly.

"I'm surprised I haven't already heard the party" Hilary said.

"Well it's gone into the wee hours and most people are asleep" Garrett added. Then he pulled Raine away. As soon as they were around a corner where they left the captives, Garrett pulled his arm back. "Hey, it _sounded_ reasonable enough. Did you want to get caught in the act?"

"You could've come up with a better alibi then that. 'Yeah, we're going for a stroll inside the hotel after midnight'. Very plausible, Garrett"

"Settle down. You're real grumpy tonight. Normally you don't object or say anything".

"That's because I'm starting to have sympathy for the people on the island. It's just not fair..."

That evening came and went much quicker for everyone else, except Kai. He was tortured by nightmares all night long.

First the strange one about wall patterns, this time with a weird twist.

The snakelike monster had its long tail wrapped tightly around one of the three headed dog's heads, as if trying to choke it. The other two heads were biting the tail hard, leaving visible teeth marks. The human with the feline ears and tail was on the far side of the mural, as was a new figure; a person dressed as a warrior. Both had dazed looks. Kai tried to look up again, but he just awoke from that nightmare each time.

He also had worst dreams about his fight earlier. Quinlan's screams were playing over and over in his head like a broken record. Eventually it drove him so insane that he decided to stay awake. He heard faint footsteps in the hallway, but he was already too distracted to care.

Kai was still in mental agony; he didn't know why it felt so bad to have fulfilled a life-long goal.

Nobody expected the mood of this week to go ever further downhill, it the mystery, pain and guilt continued.

Kevin was the first member of White Tiger X to awake this morning, eager to show up the Eon Bladers. The other day, Goki had tripped him outside the hotel and they got into another fight. Finally, today they'd be able to settle the score!

Kevin rapped on the door to Lee's room as soon as he was up and dressed. "I told you I'd wake up first for once! See, I'm up before you! I set my alarm clock for six thirty and actually awoke before it even went off. Now who's slacking, huh? "

No answer. Kevin continued to knock on the door anyways.

"Come on Lee, you'd better get up too! Can't you just feel the thrill of beating the Eon Bladers already? I can taste victory!"

Lee still didn't respond to him, so Kevin decided to head downstairs without the rest of his team, pondering on the way. "Is it even possible to _taste _victory? I wonder who made that saying up. Maybe he used to bite his opponents. Then I guess you'd taste victory...whatever."

Jim and Goki woke up with the same enthusiasm as their enemy from White Tiger X.

"This match is going to be great!" Jim said confidently as he joined his team mate in the hall.

"Kane seemed really confident last evening" Goki added. "There's no way he's going down. Not today! The Eon Bladers are going to once again prove to the world that we're the best!"

"According to some calculations and research, I've know that the Blitzkrieg Boys have defeated White Tiger X before" Jim explained, "Which means that since we're better than the Blitzkrieg Boys, we're also better than White Tiger X! That is something I can assure you."

"Wasn't it thanks to Kai that the Blitzkrieg Boys beat them, both times?" Goki asked in doubt.

"Well if you'd asked me a couple of days ago, I'd have answered yes, but did you hear him sulking last night? That was pretty lame! I've heard of a sore loser, but he's being a sore winner!"

Jim would've have even said that if he'd known that Kai and the rest of his team were walking right behind him.

"Might I remind you that not long ago, Kane was in his room _hiding_ from everyone?" Kai said as a comeback. "And I wasn't sulking. You must have been confusing me with someone else, likely your leader. After all, if I were him, I'd be unoptimistic about an upcoming match. It's hard enough being the leader of a pathetic team, but I'm sure it's worse being a pathetic leader as well!"

"Stop it, Kai" Tyson ordered.

"Kane isn't a pathetic leader, he's a great leader!" Goki objected loudly. "Kane is always, behind us, no matter what! While you, on the other hand..."

Goki was going to finish his comeback but was cut off by Salima, who had just run down the hall towards him. "Goki! Jim! I can't find Kane anywhere! I knocked on the door and there was no answer! I searched the hotel and didn't hear him get up this morning...like he's disappeared!"

A very, very, very inconsistent thing took place after that, which only happened once in a blue moon. Kai actually burst out in laugher. And who could blame him; the irony of Kane being missing right after Goki's speech about him always being there for his team was painfully amusing.

"You where saying, Goki?" Kai asked between laughs.

"Well...he's probably just out doing something" Goki stated quickly.

"I'll help you look for him" Ray offered. "You think that you guys could lend a hand too?"

"Really? That'd be great!" Salima thanked.

"But we've already been searching for people so many times...can't we just hire the police?" Max complained objectively.

"The police are still busy with the other cases of missing people" Hiro answered in a tone that meant 'so we are going to help'.

"I agree; let's spend a good couple of hours looking for Kane!" Tyson said enthusiastically, but failed to hide a bit of sarcasm.

"I thought you hated searching; you said so last time!" Max said.

"Not anymore, I...I'm, uh...learning to appreciate the...umm...well I don't mind anymore" Tyson made up.

Hiro and Ray looked at him suspiciously.

Tyson knew exactly what he was going to do during this free time; he'd return to his training spot at the abandoned waterfront.

It was a good half-hour walk there, but he didn't care. He had enough time as long as he didn't stay there long.

And just as he expected, the quiet girl was hanging out there. Today, she looked quite different; very glum. She looked very depressed.

"Good morning" Tyson began. "What's up today?"

"Nothing" the girl answered bluntly then turned around again.

Drat. Tyson failed to catch her interest. Oh well, at least he could still ask about Kane. "I'm looking for a guy with blue hair name Kane. He just went missing this morning."

Raine shuddered and answered franticly. "I have no idea who Kane is. Sorry"

"You don't have to apologize; nothing's your fault here" Tyson said.

"Are...you going to do any training today?" Raine changed the subject quickly.

"Well, I'm supposed to be looking for this Kane guy, but I'm really tired of searching for people" Tyson answered unhappily. "I mean, Kane's a good friend and I really should be helping out, but that last few times we've gone on excursions like this, I haven't found anything".

"Doesn't sound like you're trying very hard" the girl laughed.

Tyson sighed. "Maybe I'm not trying hard enough...I'm just used to things flowing smoothly, that's all. I've encountered hardships before, but normally they'd be resolved by now. This just isn't what I'm used to

"I'll keep an eye out for him" the girl offered.

"That's a good idea...could you help me look for him? It's better that we'd at least _try _to find him instead of sitting here talking"

"I don't really...well, alright" she agreed. She didn't want to help him look for someone who was already gone from the island of Hawaii, but even more so she didn't want to look suspicious; besides, how bad could it be?

As the two walked down the streets calling Kane's name, the mysterious girl felt very guilty. Because she knew that no matter how much they searched the island, he wouldn't turn up. She knew why Kane was gone and that he'd never come back. She knew that forever, he's have to work day and night for a bad cause.

Because Raine had helped take him captive.

"Let's go take a look downtown" Tyson suggested. "Maybe my team mates have found something"

"I don't really like going downtown..." Raine rejected sadly.

"Why not? I'm sure my friends would like to meet you. I've barely even met you; don't even know your name"

"You're right. So I'll just go back to the dock"

"Come on! You'd probably like meeting my friends. Their really nice...well Kai's not always nice, but it doesn't matter."

Eventually Tyson convinced Raine to come meet his friends. But when they got to the downtown, most of the other Bladebreakers had already gone searching far from there; only Hilary and Ray remained. They met her in front of the hotel.

"Hey Hilary, I want you to meet a new friend of mine" Tyson introduced her. Raine smiled and waved shyly like she always did.

"A _friend_?" Ray asked suspiciously.

"What are you still doing here?" Tyson asked.

"Actually, I'm on my way to the Tower. Can't wait to watch the next match"

"Ray, you need to buy tickets ahead of time."

"I _did_ but tickets ahead of time. Because I just know that this match is going to be a good one"

Tyson could think of more than one reason why he'd be eager to watch that match.

Hilary looked Raine over carefully, wondering why on earth _she'd _be hanging out with Tyson. At first, she looked like a nice kid...but there was something very odd about her, and strangely familiar. How she waved shyly and didn't say much, but also in her appearance. Although it had been dark in the hallways last night, Hilary saw enough to know that this was the same girl.

And from the moment they'd accidentally met the previous evening, there was something suspicious about her. She'd been sneaking around late at night. And Hilary got a strange vibe from her.

The meeting had not lasted long, for more panic followed Tyson's introduction; Mariah ran out the front doors yelling.

"Lee! Lee, where on earth are you!? What's going on...?!"

The other members of White Tiger X followed, including Tao.

"Don't tell me...that Lee is missing as well?" Tyson asked. Mariah nodded.

"This is so bad...really not good!" the old man said.

"Why...how...What the heck is happening?!" Hilary asked frustrated.

"Where are you guys, Lee and Kane?! Your team mates all need you _right now_!" Tyson yelled and threw his cap on the floor angrily.

Raine stepped back nervously and escaped when nobody was looking in her direction.

It seemed hopeless; Kane nor Lee wouldn't be found in time for the match. But rather than forfeiting, the two teams made the decision to fight without their leaders. They still had three members each, so it would works out.

But the match's enthusiasm had diminished greatly. It even showed in DJ.

"Welcome people, to this great match between White Tiger X and...umm...the Eon Bladers!" he announced with as much excitement as he could. "Despite that their leaders are _both_ missing, they're going to battle anyways! Aren't the brave?"

Most of the crowd cheered. Of course, all the fans of Kane and Lee weren't cheering.

"This match will decide who goes on to the next round to fight the winners of the amateur round, Velocity of Light! So let's get it over with already..."

With that comment, the whole crowd went silent and frowned. So did the teams.

"I...mean let's get this started! The most highly anticipated match of the tournament so far will probably prove to be the most exciting! Oh yeah!" he covered up for his accidental insult. Whew, that was a close one. The last thing he needed were angry fans after him.

"So, who's going up first?" Salima asked, playing the role of leader.

Jim looked across the stadium to see that it was Kevin who'd be going up first for White Tiger X. "I'm up! Leave this one to me...I've got a score to settle with that little punk..."

"As long as you're sure you can do it" Salima said.

"I'm sure"

"It's the annoying blond pipsqueak again..." Kevin grunted.

"3...2...1..." then there was a pause. DJ sighed. "Let it rip...!"

The battle started off similar to the last one they had; Jim tried to attack Kevin but he was still too fast. After realizing that he wasn't going to change his game plan, Jim tried copying him. That didn't work either.

For Salima and Goki, this was painful deja-vu. But everyone else who was watching were amazed at Kevin's dominance over Jim.

And after some time of toying with him, Kevin decided to finish the match the same way he did before; Galman's new Spiral Flame move.

Unfortunately, the match ended the same way it had before. Jim's blade lay motionless on the ground while Kevin's continued to spin rapidly.

"Some people never learn" Kevin muttered.

The next match was Salima against Mariah. Neither of them looked ready to lose. The fiercest of all battles so far would definitely be this one.

"Alright, I screwed up...but you _have_ to win this one or that's it for us!" Jim yelled, slightly embarrassed about his preceding loss.

"I doubt I'll lose it" Salima snapped back confidently.

Jim was taken aback. "Wow, someone's being a bit snippy! It's not like you to show that much sureness!"

"Well, I'm not only doing this for myself, but for Kane as well. I'm sure everyone here's wondering where those guys went. Same goes for all the other missing people..."

White Tiger X had taken the same vow. "I'm going to win this to avenge Lee!" Mariah announced.

"Avenge? What, you think that something bad happened to him?" Gary asked nervously.

Mariah just sighed and turned her head to face the stadium. She cared deeply for her brother, even despite how immature he acted when Ray left again. Of course, she could've written a seven page report on how she felt about that.

"This is round 2! If White Tiger X wins this, they're moving on, while the Eon Bladers will fall back to the consolation matches!" DJ called.

"But I wouldn't count out Salima quite yet; just look at that determined expression!" AJ Topper added. "Don't you agree, Brad?"

There was a silent pause again. Then AJ remembered that his partner Brad Best was gone.

"Well, I'm sure that he'd agree if he were here" DJ answered. "Back to the subject, it's time to begin this! 3, 2, 1...sigh...Let it Rip!"

The two girls launched on cue. The blades dented the ground as they landed powerfully.

"I'm not holding back just because my pal Jim was unpleasant to you!" Salima said. Her blade hit Mariah's with force.

"I don't expect you to hold back; you'll need all the strength you have to stand against me!" Mariah responded threateningly.

The blades crashed together. Both of them were attacking with full force at once. The crowd cheered happily.

"Finally, some action!" Ray yelled excitedly. "Go Salima! And Mariah! Yeah!"

Everyone was at full excitement watching the girls' blades pound each other. The girls were doing this purposely to elevate the mood a bit. But it was a very personal and important match nonetheless. There were so many things flowing through the bladers' minds...their missing comrades, the jeering fans, the two-million dollar prize money.

Galux retreated and spin around the rim of the stadium. It was much to fast for Salima; her blade remained in the middle, waiting for a chance to attack again. That chance came up when Mariah's blade slipped and fell back to the main part of the stadium; Salima knocked it back hard, almost out of the stadium.

"This is turning into a real catfight!" DJ laughed. "Yep, these cats have claws! Mariah and Salima are really duking it out, and the crowd's loving it!"

But the match was cut short, right as it was getting interesting. While everyone was focusing on the battle, Mr. Dickinson suddenly stood up and shouted into his microphone.

"Stop this match immediately!"

Everyone gasped and looked angrily in his direction.

"I'm afraid that an emergency has come up. I'll have to be leaving this building immediately, and so should you. The match will resume tomorrow at this same time, and I very sorry for this inconvenience. Everyone who bought tickets to this match will be invited tomorrow as well"

Then the old man and some tough security guys left the scene.

"Hey, I was just starting to enjoy this!" everyone heard a booming, angry voice...DJ?!

"What's the deal, Stanley? These kids all deserve better! They didn't come to watch a match without conclusion; nobody did! Let's just finish this, right here, right now!"

Mr. D reappeared. "I'm afraid not. You know that we can't have an unsupervised match, and everyone has to attend to this important meeting. All the judges and me"

"Can't _I _supervise this match? What's the worst that can happen?" But Mr. Dickinson did not answer. DJ dropped his mic on the floor, sending a loud screech through the immense room.

Many people lingered in the lobby after the inconclusive match between White Tiger X and the Eon Bladers. Both bladers and fans demanded for answers, and some just stayed and chatted, including Mariah and Salima.

"I can't believe that they're not letting us finish the stupid match!" Salima yelled in rage.

"They can't just leave everyone hanging like that...I wonder what's going on?" Mariah asked.

"That's exactly what I'd like to know"

The girls turned around. It was DJ standing behind them, but he looked different; he had removed his bandana, allowing shoulder-length brown hair to drape down his back, and wasn't wearing his vest or gloves. Not a huge difference, but they weren't used to seeing him without his trademark outfit.

He'd been listening to the girls' pleas, and had a risky but clever idea to help out. Because he too was really angry about this whole thing. There were problems going on, but the BBA wasn't dealing with them well.

"I just want to get the match over with" Mariah complained.

"Me too" Salima agreed.

"Me three" DJ added. He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to Salima. "If you want to finish it, then go ahead. Blame me if ya get caught."

"DJ...what is..." Mariah began.

"It's a card key. The master card key, more specifically. You can enter this Tower after hours...as long as you promise _only _to blade. No sneaking into the highly restricted areas, promise?"

"You're kidding, there's no way you're allowed to do this!" Salima objected.

"It'll be fine as long as you don't get caught using the place when you're not supposed to. Then, whoever loses this match has to hand the victory over to the opposing team. Didn't you say that ya wanted to get this over with, professionally and without intrusion?"

"But there's probably security cameras and stuff watching us..." Mariah complained.

"Not everywhere. I'm sure you can find a place at this Tower where there's absolutely no security at all. It's a risk, but you should take it."

Later that night, at 9:00, the two girls left the hotel sneakily. They told their team mates that they were going for a walk, to try and relax after the match earlier. But they were really headed to the BBA Tower II, to finish the match. They weren't satisfied by listening to Mr. Dickinson; that match should've been finished long ago. It shouldn't have been postponed because of a stupid emergency meeting.

The Tower didn't look very hard to infiltrate from the outside. But from the moment when Salima flashed the card key through the slot at the main entrance and the steel doors slid open, things began to take a nosedive for the worst. They didn't yet know it, but their unscheduled re-match would be something they'd seriously regret...

The lobby was unguarded. Mariah led the way through the darkness of the unlit room. The darkness seemed to be nothing to her; she navigated perfectly. Salima wondered how she could do it, but didn't want to start a conversation. They were still enemies.

The card key opened the door the arena, which was unfortunately guarded by visible motion detectors. The red lasers spread all over the floor of this gigantic room. The silence was eerie, and the empty seats gave the room and abandoned feeling. But if either of them walked by one of the motion detectors, the alarm would sound and they'd be caught.

"Look at the security...what should we do now?" Mariah whispered.

"I don't want to take my chances with those lasers" Salima answered. "I think maybe we should find somewhere else to battle. Aren't there two arenas with stadiums?"

"I'm sure that the other one is just as heavily guarded as this one. We should just get out of here..."

"This is the BBA Tower! There has to be another place to blade somewhere in here. Let's try some other floors"

"I know for a fact that floors 5, 6, 7 and 8 are restricted to everyone but Mr. Dickinson and his selected employees. I heard some adults saying so earlier. I doubt that they'd be any good for a battle. Just imagine the security they have up there; there's enough down here, and this place isn't even restricted."

"Then where did DJ intend on sending?!" Salima asked, frustrated.

"Keep your voice down!" Mariah said, covering her mouth. "This place only has eight floors, and if he knew that we wouldn't be able to use any of them, then I guess that only leaves..."

"The roof?!" Salima finished.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good old blade'n on the rooftop.

Note-Kevin's questioning about "Tasting Victory" was based on a real conversation between me and a friend (I won't reveal the friend's address because she probably doesn't want to chat with strangers):

Velocityoflight64: I just thought of something; why do anime people always say "I can almost taste victory!" it's not like they eat their opponents...usually...

Friend: I have no clue, but I have a question too. Can people be scared half to death twice?

Velocityoflight64: I have no idea. Technically they'd be dead, but I've heard many people say that. Maybe they live negative amounts of life or something.

Friend: Don't stare directly at the sun, unless it stares at you first. Then standard staring contest rules apply.

Velocityoflight64: lol That's pretty funny. But still...that quote is going to boggle my mind for many years to come!

Then there's a bunch of boring talk about school.

Pedro: It's just a quote...it has no real meaning...you think too hard.

Hunter: Or sometimes not enough. Mostly not enough.

So anyhow, the next part is called **Lightning Strikes**

It'll probably be done in about a week's time, maybe more, maybe less. I don't know. But since it's an important chapter, I'm guessing more.


	13. It's not over until it's over, Part 2

**Hiya, folks. Yeah, I know that this is a short chapter and it took me a little while to update. I'm sorry. I promise that chapter 14 will be up much sooner and will be longer.**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Lightning Strikes**

DJ, AJ Topper and Mr. Dickinson all sat at different ends of the long dinner table.

"It was real nice for you to invite us over for a drink, Mr. D" DJ said thankfully, taking a sip from his glass.

"Well, I felt like I had to repay you two for tolerating the events of earlier today" Mr. Dickinson replied. "For a while there, I was worried that you'd do something silly to get back at me for calling an emergency meeting, and not letting you come"

DJ turned away in guilt. He hadn't really been totally mature…opposing his boss in front of hundreds of people and granting two girls access to the BBA Tower after hours.

"So was everything resolved?" AJ asked.

"It wasn't really to resolve anything, more of a discussion" Mr. Dickinson answered. "I had just received a call from the police. They wanted to discuss all those people's disappearances. Ever since the Barthez Battalion vanished, I've given them one prime suspect; Pharoas. They wanted to report that my theory didn't lead them to anything."

"So they don't believe you?" DJ asked.

"No. They have no evidence that he's doing anything wrong. Which makes me a bit angry…"

"They should do an investigation" AJ suggested. "Pay a visit to wherever Pharoas is staying and have a look around. I'm sure there's lots of evidence there"

"That leads us to another problem" Mr. Dickinson began. "You see, we have no idea where to start looking for Pharoas' base".

"Nobody even knows where he is?!"

"The police cannot ask someone to follow him, because he doesn't appear in public. And the members of Velocity of Light are always in disguise. They've checked every hotel on the island, and he isn't using a single one. The police have even tried tracing him back from the power plant; from there, they can trace every facility that's consuming electricity"

"I can't think of any reason why that would fail" DJ commented.

"It can only mean that Pharoas isn't using any electricity"

"What?! How can someone like that live without it? I know that I couldn't live without television" AJ exclaimed.

"He coaches a team; he _has _to use _some _electricity" DJ started to explain. "His bladers had incredibly advanced Beyblades when they fought in the amateur rounds. Meaning that he must have some kind of lab where they modify the Beyblades and conduct research. And you need power for computers and other machines to work. It…just doesn't make sense to me"

"It doesn't make sense to _anybody_" Mr. Dickinson sighed. "The police are really baffled. There just seems to be no way to prove Pharoas guilty."

"Maybe you're wrong" AJ suggested. "Maybe he _is_ innocent this time. There's always that possibility"

Meanwhile, Mariah and Salima continued on their way to the top of the Tower, planning on having their match on the unguarded rooftop.

"I think there's only _one_ more flight of stairs to go" Mariah said tiredly.

"I certainly hope so…I'm really not used to walking this much…" Salima complained.

"If you're already that tired, I doubt you'll have any energy left for the match" Mariah said, almost hopefully. "Maybe winning will be easier than I expected."

"Don't…get your hopes up, pal. I'm just saving my real strength for the battle"

"Yeah, right. It may be dark, but I can clearly see that you're completely exhausted, Salima"

At the top of these stairs was a metal door. Salima tried to open it; it was locked. She flashed the card key through the slot, and it clicked open. But it took the strength of both of them to push it open; obviously, people didn't visit the rooftop very often, and the hinges were rusted.

The top of the Tower was better than either of them had expected. The surface was almost empty. They could see everything from up there; the hotel, the beach, and a dark unlit area off to the east side. There was even a mountain behind that shady area, covered in forest growth. This Tower had to be the tallest building around. Winds were quite strong tonight, and the sky was filled with clouds, hiding the moon from view. It set the perfect mood for the long-awaited Beybattle between Mariah and Salima.

The girls stared at their surroundings in awe. It was going to be dangerous. There were no ledges around the roof, so if they stepped to close to the edge, that would be the end. And with these high winds, they'd have to be very careful.

Each of them took a side of the roof. They aimed their blades.

"3, 2, 1, Let it Rip!" they both yelled at once. Their voices echoed into the night sky. As if on cue, rain began to drizzle from the sky.

The blades slipped as they hit the surface, which was already covered in a thin layer of rainwater. But there was still more than enough friction to move easily. Which was good because in these conditions, there was no where to hide.

Galux's intense speed was very useful here, for it would be easier to attack when Salima had nowhere to run. The two blades' attacks connected, sending each far back. Both slipped on the wet surface and slid, almost right off the edge of the roof. Salima's blade came to a screeching halt just in time and Mariah's swerved to the side at a 45 degree angle, at the last second.

"You'll be needing to watch yourself if you want to stay alive in this" Salima taunted.

"I know I can make it through the rain…I'm not afraid of storms" Mariah muttered confidently back under her breath.

Their blades crashed into each other again. Water splashed and the rain intensified. It was down pouring down on the two bladers. They could also hear rumbling far off in the distant sky.

DJ looked worriedly out the window, staring at the BBA Tower II.

"Is something wrong?" Mr. Dickinson asked.

"It's nothing, no" DJ sighed in reply.

Mr. D also glanced out the wide window. "Starting to rain pretty hard, isn't it? I'm sure glad that we're safe indoors. That fact always makes me feel better during rough storms; at least we're not outside getting soaked."

DJ shuddered. He continued to look mournfully at the Tower, concerned about the two girls he'd sent up there.

"…Something's wrong, isn't it, DJ?"

"…Well…maybe"

"I bet you're afraid of thunder and lightning!" Mr. Dickinson laughed. DJ was relieved. "Well, Sarge used to be afraid as well…but I made up a game to play during a thunderstorm that helps you feel reassured"

DJ tried to sound interested. "Could you explain it to me?"

"Of course. When you see the flash, start counting. 1, 2, 3...and when you hear the rumble of thunder, stop. The number you reached is how many miles away the lightning hit. Give it a try…just wait for the lightning…"

After only a few seconds of waiting, there as an expected flash of lightning. DJ began to count.

"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9" then the thunder boomed.

"Nine miles away" Mr. Dickinson concluded.

DJ smiled. "That's a neat trick, Mr. D"

He took another sip of his drink. Then, more lightning. He counted in his head. 1, 2, 3, 4...only four miles away this time?!

"Getting closer, is it? Well, like I mentioned before, at least we're safe here in the hotel"

"I don't like this…can we finish this match soon?" Mariah asked anxiously.

"I thought you weren't afraid of a little storm?" Salima asked, but also sounded a bit scared.

The performance of their blades was being affected by their fear; they were spinning a great deal slower than before and often became unbalanced. Nonetheless, this match wasn't over yet.

"Let's hurry up" Mariah repeated.

"Oh come on…it's not over until it's over" Salima encouraged. "I don't think we're in too much danger…at least, I don't _think…_"

And it was at that moment that things made a sharp turn for the worst. They looked up and both knew immediately what was happening, also knowing that they wouldn't have time to run or brace themselves.

The surface that they were standing upon was the highest thing for many miles. Anyone who knew a slight bit of logic knows the danger of being near these places during a storm. Parents went on and on about how you shouldn't take refuge under a tree during a storm, and how kids were often oblivious to the information.

They had not considered this factor. And as the rain continued to beat down, a sharp flash lit up the sky directly above and a sharp, quick fork of lightning hit the BBA Tower II directly. No where to run, no where to hide.

"That's it…no way!" DJ screamed in disbelief, then leaped off his chair and stormed into the doorway. Mr. Dickinson and AJ Topper looked at him confusedly.

"Did you see that?" AJ asked. "The Tower just got hit by lightning! I've never heard such a loud boom in my life! Now _that_ was freaky! Wait until I tell my wife about this! And she thinks that my job is boring and repetitive…"

"The Tower!" DJ panted. "We…need to go to the Tower! _Right now!_"

"How come?" Mr. Dickinson asked.

"I…two people…Mariah and Salima! The Tower! I can't believe this is all my fault…"

"Talk slower…, we can't understand you, DJ"

"They're on top of the Tower. The BBA Tower II. The one…right over there…that got struck by lightning!" DJ cried. Everyone else gasped.

"There is no way that they could've got up there" Mr. Dickinson said in horror. "No way…the doors are all locked. Every night. And there's no way someone let them in"

DJ's head sunk low. Mr. Dickinson eyed him suspiciously. He wasn't even able to face the chairman. It wasn't his intentions to hurt anyone; just to give the girls a free re-match. To show Mr. Dickinson up. Immature, it was.

Everybody heard the deafening crash when lightning hit the Tower, for miles and miles away.

"Lightning…it is a truly monstrous force, is it not?" Pharoas said, impressed, as he talked on the phone with his affiliate, Mendoza. He was sitting in his office alone.

"That Tower's very vulnerable" Mendoza added, also quite astounded.

"If only we could harness that kind of strength…"

"I'd like to see us try, Boss. It's nearly impossible. Besides, we already have a good source of power. Let the lightning be."

Pharoas chuckled. "Fire is much more powerful than lightning. We've no need for that when we've got fire, you're right. Thermolysis…oh, how I miss him…"

"No worries, Boss. We'll see him again sometime soon. Just as soon as the subject's prepared for it, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's going to be fine."

"…Is something on your mind, Pharoas?"

"No, Mendoza, my old pal, it's absolutely nothing. Don't worry about me; worry about doing your job."

"Now _that_ was neat" Max said. He was peering out the window in his room. Tyson and Ray where sitting at the small coffee table, while Ray was unsuccessfully trying to teach Tyson to play a game called 'Go'. Kai was lying on the bed, resting his eyes.

Tyson turned around to speak with Max. "I've never liked lightning", he began. "Once, when I was very little, I decided to stay behind at the park during a storm. I didn't even know what thunder and lightning were back then. Then suddenly, a tree got hit by the lightning; the whole thing caught on fire and cracked into two. If it wasn't for my big brother, the thing would have killed me; but Hiro pushed me out of the way in time."

Max's eyes widened. "That really happened? Wow, that's quite a scary thought; imagine if Hiro wasn't there…I wonder where we'd be right now if Tyson wasn't alive?"

"I'd be in my room, watching the tournament on TV" Kenny replied.

"As for me, I'd probably be…well, I'm not really sure…" Ray said, then went deep into thought.

"Hey! Do you guys _have _to discuss what your lives would be like if I was dead?" Tyson complained.

"I would be exactly what I was like before we met Tyson, living happily in…" Hilary began.

"Shut up!" Tyson yelled. Hilary laughed contently.

"Salima! I can't find my toothbrush! Did you put it somewhere? Salima?"

Everyone could clearly hear Jim's voice outside the room.

"I wonder what's up" Tyson asked.

"Well, I _think_ he may have lost his toothbrush" Hilary said sarcastically, pointing out the obvious.

Then they heard Goki as well. "Salima, are you wearing a watch? What time is it? I wanted to watch the news, see if they've found any trace of Kane…"

"Sounds like they may have lost more than that" said Kai.

Max exited the room to see what exactly was up. "Don't you tell me…that you've lost _another _team mate already?!"

"Wait…didn't she say that she was going for a walk…?" Jim asked dumbly, realising that he'd forgotten that, and made a fool of himself.

"Right" reassured Goki. "Sorry to worry you, Max. All is well. She'll probably be back soon, since it's pouring down rain.

Max smiled, then suddenly became concerned again. "It's been raining for quite a while now. Don't you think she'd have come back already is she was going for walk? I mean, it's no fun walking in the rain".

"I feel like we should go looking, just to be safe" Goki suggested. Max and Jim nodded in agreement.

"Any of you boys feel like going on yet _another_ search?" asked Max.

Tyson though for a moment. Maybe…but no, his friend probably wasn't there. Not at 10:00 in the evening. "I'm really tired…maybe I'll stay here" Tyson replied, and made a very fake yawn.

"Oh no _you're_ not, _you _are going to come help us look" Hilary nagged. He got a hold of Tyson's ear and pulled him off the chair. He flailed and yelled. Ray and Max laughed at him. Kai smiled, satisfied.

On their way downstairs, they bumped into Gary, who was having the exact same problem as the two Eon Bladers. Gary explained his problem and worried everybody more.

"You've got to be kidding me…_she_ said that she was going for a walk as well?" Ray exclaimed.

"That's right" Gary answered. "Maybe a whole bunch of girls went for a walk together"

"Mariah and Salima didn't seem to be getting along well, so I doubt it" Hilary said. "Besides, why would the others go for a walk without _me…_ditching _me?_"

"Sure wish I'd thought of that…" Tyson said under his breath.

"_What_ did you just say, Tyson Granger?!"

"Don't you two start" Max laughed, and stood between the two, trying to block their views of each other. Hilary tried to ignore him. She crossed her arms and turned around. At the corner of her eye, she caught Tyson sticking out his tongue at her. Hilary opened her mouth to yell again, but the Chief interrupted.

"If we have the same problem, why don't we all search together?" Kenny suggested, quickly changing the subject.

"I agree; when someone's in trouble, we need to forget our differences" Ray agreed.

"Oh no; not if that annoying, shorty punk's going to help!" Jim objected.

"Kevin's still upstairs, if that's who you mean" Gary told him.

"Then I'm cool with it" Goki said, nodding in agreement. Jim rolled his eyes, then nodded after him.

"Well, if we're going in the same direction, then why not?" Max said happily.

They started to continue downstairs, then Kai spoke up. "I'm going to stay here. Just in case they come back while you're out"

"…Well, alright" Jim answered.

"Hey, how come Kai gets to stay and I don't?!" Tyson continued to complain and agitate Hilary until they were out the door. Then, Kai returned to his room.

"I've got some serious thinking to do."

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Ta-da! There you have it, chapter 13 of Go Ahead.

The next one's called **The Hardships. **

AndI apologize forcliffhangars. But no need to worry, I_will_ update, always. I'd rather fail for rejecting my homework than have an eternallyhalf-finnished story; it bothers me.

As long as people update their fics eventually, it's good, even if it takes a long time. I'll try to have the next chapter done in a week. I have way too much free time...

(Please R&R as usual...I really like reviews. No flames though.)


	14. The Hardships

**Hiya!** Wow, I can't believe that it took me less than a day to write this chapter! Normally it takes a whole week...guess I was on a role today. Hope you like this one.

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**The hardships**

The Beybladers had only just begun their search when an ambulance sped by them, lights flashing and the eerie sound of the sirens piercing the quiet night sky.

"I wonder where that ambulance is headed." Tyson asked Max.

"The hospital, duh" Hilary answered.

"Well maybe it's going to pick someone up?" Max suggested, sticking up for his team mate. Hilary frowned and pouted.

"Yeah, maybe someone's hurt, Hilary, _duh_!" Tyson laughed.

"Don't you find it a bit disrespectful, laughing about something like that?" Gary asked angrily. "Someone might've died. You shouldn't joke about ambulances"

"Sorry…we didn't do it intentionally" Max apologized.

They continued down the sidewalks, calling out Mariah and Salima's names, but there was never any response. The anxious Bladers walked down six different streets in the pouring rain in search of their friends. Eventually, they made their way to the famous street, where the BBA Tower II stood proudly. They immediately noticed flashing lights in the parking lot.

"I think the cops are investigating after the Tower was struck by lightning a short while ago" Tyson said.

"Wait…that light's from the ambulance we saw a minute ago!" exclaimed Kenny.

The group ran to the open gates in front of the parking lot. Sure enough, there were two ambulances, a police car and a limo parked in front of the Tower.

"I wanna know what's going on!" Tyson said anxiously. He made a run for the vehicles.

"No Tyson, we should stay away!" Kenny advised, but was too late for Tyson to hear.

Tyson startled the cop when he ran up behind him and began to ask questions. "What happened here, officer? Something wrong with the Tower? What's with all the ambulances!?"

"Stand back, son" the officer ordered. "Stay back away from here. This is a situation for us police officers, not kids."

"Kid? I'm not a little kid, dude! And I want to know what's going on!"

"Yeah, we're all curious to know!" said Ray, who'd just appeared beside Tyson.

"I was too late to stop them…" Kenny grumbled as he and Max, Hilary and Gary joined the other two in front of the Tower.

"I told you to go home already!" The officer yelled.

Another short cop approached him from behind. "Peters, what are these people doing here?"

"Bystanders…just curious bystanders" Agent Peters answered.

"I'm a world champion in Beyblading!" Tyson said angrily.

"I don't care if you're the world champion in whatever; I'm not letting you stay here much longer!" Peters objected.

"Sir, we respect your authority, but my friend here just wants to know what all of you are doing" Kenny asked politely.

"They could know something, Peters…maybe you should explain" the short officer suggested.

"Fine then, Ron…" Peters agreed reluctantly. "A couple of Beybladers ended up in a bad situation back there…for some reason, they were on the roof of the Tower. We know that they're Bladers because we found their blades up there, too. Mr. Dickinson called us and asked us to investigate, you know, because of the storm. These two people were struck by lightning."

Everyone gasped. Two Beybladers…hit by lightning!?

"You mean…two Beybladers are _dead_?!" Tyson exclaimed, horrified.

"Nobody's dead" Peters continued. "They're both alive…for now, at least; I regret to say that more then 56 of people who are struck by lightning directly do not live for very long afterwards…and that's for full-grown adults"

"That's…absolutely horrible!" Hilary sobbed. She was nearly in tears just hearing this, as was Gary, Max and Kenny. Tyson was mostly angry and Ray just stood silently and still, thousands of worried thoughts flowing through his head.

"Who…" Tyson started.

"I'm not in liberty to reveal any names. We've had some BBA officials identify the victims already, but I can't tell you. It's confidential"

"You don't understand…we've got a couple of friends who are missing…" Max said sadly.

"Don't even think of that possibility!" Gary yelled desperately.

Then Ray made a break for it. He dodged around the cops, to the Tower. The front entrance doors were wide open. Peters gave chase for a moment, but Ron tripped him as he entered the Tower.

"Peters, just let the kid go!" he said angrily to his partner.

"Ron, do you have any idea what the police chief is going to think of you for this?!" Peter roared.

"They've already taken the victims out of the Tower…what harm can he do?"

"This is the scene of an accident! A bit of a weird one, but nonetheless…"

"Too late now, Peters."

Suddenly, another shady person ran by them, into the Tower. Nobody recognized who it was; he was concealed in a dark robe.

"Who the heck was that?" Tyson asked confusedly.

Ray knew exactly where he wanted to go. He sprinted up many flights of stairs, tripping a couple of times, but getting up within seconds afterwards and continuing further up the tall tower. If the police wouldn't tell him anything, so be it.

He didn't know if Peters would come after him; he didn't care. He wanted answers…he _needed_ to know who'd just been hurt. The same thought just rolled through his head over and over again… "No, not them…not this…not _her_…"

And even though he expected this is what he'd find, he was still shocked when he reached the top of the Tower.

Two Beyblades sitting motionless, both very recognizable to him…one that he'd seen spinning earlier in the stadium; while the other, pink Beyblade…he'd seen, fought and repaired on numerous occasions in the past.

It was definitely Salima and Mariah.

Ray darted to the edge of the roof and glared darkly out at the city and the ocean. It was still raining. Down below, he could see that his friends were still there, as were Peters and Ron.

"Dammit!" he screamed. His voice echoed loudly. "Damn…this…" He began to sob, tears filling his golden eyes. "Not…fair!"

"Quit being a baby".

Ray turned around quickly. An indefinable person, wearing a dark blue robe, was standing in the middle of the roof.

"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Ray.

"I'm nobody. I've already got what I want. And I think I'll be on my way now".

The hooded figure then turned tail and ran back through the steel door.

Ray shrugged and turned back around to stare at the city. Wait…something wasn't right…

He turned around again, and took a good look around the roof. It was completely empty. There was _nothing_ on the roof but him and the door.

"The blades!" Ray exclaimed. "That monster…he snatched both the Beyblades!"

He ran as fast as he could through the door and back down the stairs. "I can't believe that he'd have the nerve to steal those Beyblades! Damn!"

Then, as his mind was on other things, he tripped at the top of a staircase and fell down the whole way, bashing his head several times. He re-opened his eyes at the bottom and felt his head. It was bleeding, all right. Ray tried to get up and continue running, but he couldn't.

It was a whole half-hour later when he met his friends at the foot of the BBA Tower II.

"Ray, what's going on?" Tyson asked, relieved to see his friend finally.

"It was them. Mariah…and Salima. Their blades were still on the roof, so it had to be them"

"Oh my gosh…this is just awful!" Tyson and the others all began to sob and eventually almost everyone was crying. Only Gary kept a serious face.

"It only gets worse…this guy in a robe took both the blades while my back was turned" Ray ran his hand through his hair again. Still bleeding.

"I'm going to the hospital right now!" Gary announced boldly. "Who's coming?"

"Goki and I are definitely with you!" Jim cried.

"I…I'm coming as well" Ray said.

Gary glared. "Traitor…"

"I want a doctor to look at my head" Ray lied. "I'm not interested in visiting your team mate". That was one of the biggest lies he'd ever told. But of course, he knew that Gary would just have a fuss if he'd said that he wanted to check up on Mariah.

"Liar…" Gary said.

"Okay fine, ya got me. But this is serious. People are hurt, Gary. People might _die_. It's not time to think about me right now."

"…Right, I guess" Gary agreed. "The rest of you, I want you to go fetch Kevin and inform him of all this".

Garrett couldn't believe what he just did. He stared hatefully at the two damaged Beyblade he'd just taken, not hating them, but hating himself for having stolen them.

"Only one of them has a Bit Beast" Pharoas complained. He and Garrett were in his dimly-lit office once again.

"I apologize, coach" Garrett said glumly. "But they were so easy to snatch, I just had to…"

"No, no, I'm not saying that you didn't do a good job! That's the first Bit Beast you've brought in; you should be proud."

"I'm…not proud; actually, I feel awful".

Pharoas growled. "You're turning into Raine! Come on, lighten up. Why don't you go to your room and get some rest? I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning. As for me, I'll be staying up a bit later."

"How come?"

"There you go with your questions again…I'm waiting for Raine to come back. She had an assignment tonight as well. I asked her to get my old Fusion Blade back from that Sarge character."

Garrett frowned. "You know, someday, we're going to get caught taking all these things, and then you'll be in some huge trouble. It'll be back to the funny-farm for you…"

Pharoas banged both fists on the table, then grabbed Garrett by the shirt collar and pulled him forwards. "Don't _ever_ mock me like that again! I'm sensitive about my years in the mental institute! How badly do you want to go visit Mendoza!? He could always use another person, you know!"

"Sorry, coach Pharoas…I'm really sorry…"

"I was wrong. You're turning into a cross between Raine _and_ Pedro. If they were a bit older, you could be mistaken for their kid! You feel bad for our underlings, and now you're turning on me…"

"I swear, I'm still loyal to you!" Garrett begged. "But I really don't want to be Mendoza's slave! Trust me."

Pharoas laughed. "My, my, Garrett…don't get all wound up! You _really_ need a good night's sleep"

And with that, Garrett was dismissed.

Dark clouds re-filled the sky overnight and it began to rain again in the morning. It was reasonable to say that the weather was reflecting the people's mood.

After the news was released that two more bladers had been hospitalized, everyone had descended into a state of sadness. Not just sadness, but also immense fear.

It seemed that with every passing day, the island was plunging further and further down into a pit of darkness.

There were now a total of three Beybladers in hospital, all in critical condition, and seven missing people who were connected to this tournament in some significant way. Plus, the unsettling fact that the prime suspect, Pharoas, was nowhere to be found.

It didn't take a genius to find the common denominator; this tournament. The BBA was indirectly responsible for all the bad things that had happened.

"Maybe it's time to put a stop to this. Perhaps it is the best thing to do" Mr. Dickinson suggested sadly, walking back and forth across the BBA's board room, deep in thought.

"As Hawaii's BBA representative, I completely agree" Horace said. "Shut down the Tower for a few days, at least. The tournament shall come to a halt until something is done about this"

"I don't know how to tell the Beybladers…I've been quite a pain to them lately"

"How about I deliver the bad news?" Horace offered. "In the meantime, you should probably pay a visit to your hospitalized grandson".

"Quinlan?"

"Yes. I understand that you and Sarge have had your conflicts in the past, but you'll both feel better talking to each other after a long time apart."

"I dunno…" Mr. Dickinson sighed. "That Sarge is trouble…he's defying everything that the BBA stands for. I've told you before, my son knows about what happened with Pharoas. And he intends on spreading the word, the horrible truth. If Kai hadn't beaten Quinlan…"

"Are you saying that it's a good thing Quinlan almost died?" Horace gasped, taken aback.

"No, I didn't mean it in that way…let's change the subject, shall we?"

"Hey, have you even met Quinlan before?" Horace allowed the subject to drag on.

"I haven't. Now, could we talk about something else?"

"He's the funniest, most amusing five year old you'll ever meet. I'm serious; I met him and Sarge on the street, and Quinlan went on and on about his dog…"

"Horace! I've already asked you twice, _could_ _we talk about something else_?!" Mr. Dickinson demanded angrily.

Horace pace backwards slowly. "I'll go tell the news to everyone…"

"I apologize, Horace. It's a sensitive topic. Often, I hate Sarge…but sometimes I hate myself for it."

Tyson awoke last, like normal. His team mates were already downstairs eating breakfast when he arrived. He joined them at the table.

"So, how's everyone this morning?" he tried to act positively.

"They won't even let us visit the girls" Ray growled. He hadn't even touched his food.

"That's too bad" Tyson said. He patted Ray on the back.

"I just had a breakthrough idea about how to improve your blade last night" Kenny said.

"Really? That's great!" Tyson said encouragingly.

"But I didn't have Dizzi, so I couldn't record it. Now I've forgotten"

"Oh."

For the rest of the meal, nobody said anything.

Tyson needed to clear his head. So he made another trip to the old, abandoned dock where he liked to train. But this time, he didn't even intend to train a bit; he just needed someone to talk to. He'd chat with his team mates or his brother, but they were just as depressed as him.

So he intended on chatting with Raine. Of course, to him, she was just 'that strange girl who doesn't say much', but he did find her very nice. And pretty.

Just as he'd hoped, she was there. But certainly not what he expected she'd be doing; Beyblading?!

Raine had told him that she'd never launched a blade in her life, that she knew nothing about the sport. Yet, here she was, Beyblading like a professional.

The purple Beyblade was spinning on the ground. Then, it jumped into the air and bounded off the drink machine, leaving a gigantic gash. From there, it flew into the railing on the dock, spitting the wood. It landed in the water, but still wouldn't stop spinning. It skipped across the water, and then hopped back onto the dock.

From there, it hit the boarded-up building and flew right into Raine's open palm. "Good, but not great…" she muttered to herself.

"I thought you said that you couldn't blade!" Tyson ran up behind her and startled her immensely. She jumped back and immediately shoved the blade into one of her pockets.

"I…I don't know how to blade…" she said franticly.

"Sure you do! I just saw you a couple of seconds ago, Beyblading! And quite professionally, might I add!"

"Then…you must be seeing things…"

Tyson frowned. "What's so bad about that, huh? A lot of people Beyblade. Why are you so sensitive about it?"

"…No reason"

"No, seriously. What's up?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Tyson cocked his head confusedly, like a dog would. "Really?"

"Everything. Absolutely…everything!!!"

Enough was enough. Raine had been holding all her secrets for much too long. It was beginning to drive her insane.

She hadn't join Pharoas' team against her will, it was Raine's decision. And she knew what she'd have to do. But this had gone too far.

At this point, Raine didn't care what her coach thought, or what Garrett thought, or Pedro and Blaise. Being driven into madness for helping that man was too much to handle.

"It's all my fault! Everything was us! I admit it!" she screamed. Then took a deep breath and sighed, relieved. Finally, she'd got it out of her system.

"All your fault?" Tyson asked. "What's all your fault?

"I'm gonna explain everything. I have to. Tyson, are you ready for a long explanation?"

"…okay…" Tyson said, unsure. What the heck was this girl talking about?

Raine took another deep breath. "First…the missing people. I know what happened to them exactly where they are; I've known all along."

".._You_ knew!?" Tyson exclaimed angrily. "You're saying that from the beginning, you've known where they are? Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Please don't yell at me…I'm very, very angry at myself for not telling. Even more so that it was me and Garrett who…oh…"

Tyson stepped back. "You…it was _you_ who kidnapped these people?!"

"You've every right to be furious, but please, don't yell so much…don't interrupt anymore, either"

"F…fine" Tyson said reluctantly.

"There's this green haired guy with one eye named Mendoza. Pharoas met him a couple of years ago. At first, everyone back at the Training centre thought that he was a coach like Pharoas, but he's not. He manages a plant on a remote island not far from here…that's where all the missing people are. Why? They work. Slave labour. Mendoza forces them to work, to generate power and conduct experiments. That's where all of Velocity of Light's blades are modified…it's awful…"

"This…is absolutely unbelievable" Tyson gasped.

"He needs people to power his machines, and he thinks that this is the only way…whenever he needs power for _anything_, from TV to any of those other strange gadgets in the back of his office, he calls Mendoza with a cordless phone. Mendoza and his admins get some of their slaves and force them to generate it. I've seen some of them…they use treadmills and generators that the people need to push repetitively around and around to get power. And if the slaves refuse, they threaten them with whips, clubs, and they say that they'll hurt their friends and family. They're…forced into doing this."

"You mean that Miguel, Claude, Matilda, Aaron, Brad Best, Kane _and_ Lee are all going through this?!"

"…Exactly. I know how horrible it is…"

"Then you've got to do something!" insisted Tyson. "The next time you go there, free those people! You're got to!"

"I can't…Pharoas would have my head. Besides, the only time I'm in liberty to go there is if I have another prisoner for Mendoza. And I don't want to harm another person. I don't wanna take anyone else to the island…so I can't go there" Raine sighed.

Tyson thought for a moment. He was thinking up a plan.

"I'm sorry" Raine apologized. "I really I'm sorry for what I did. Honestly."

"Take me" said Tyson, determined.

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Ooooh cliffhanger! Hope ya liked that.

Next chapter is called...uh...well I'm not sure yet...

Anyways, I'm just waiting to get my report card in a few days! YAY! Hope I get some B's! I swear, I'll be really excited to get some marks over 65!  
Jumps around the room

Hunter: Oh brother...she's excited again...  
Patrick: Why is she excited about a stupid report card?

Please R&R!!! no flames plz


	15. Raine's Betrayal

Hiya!!! I updated my profile, so visit it if you have time!

**Sorry** that updating's a bit slow…but once again my friends are having a war. And they're itching to get another person involved. Why won't my classmates just give up the grudge!? And a couple of them are so flipp'n mad that they burn things…_like their houses_, in rage. Thank the gods for Christmas Break…they can't get me involved when I'm safe in my own home, sitting here at the computer desk!

Please enjoy this chapter…….

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**Raine's Betrayal**

"You…you want me to bring _you_ to Mendoza?" Raine asked in doubt.

"That's right" Tyson answered, slightly unsurely. "Pretend that you kidnapped me and take me to the island where everyone is being held. We'll free everyone!"

"I already said, Pharoas would be absolutely fuming if I betrayed him!"

"We'll you've already betrayed him for telling me this, right?"

"That's right…" Raine wiped a few tears away.

"So then, switch sides" Tyson spoke softly this time, seeing that she was upset now. "You've already gone this far. I promise, you're welcome with the good guys…"

Raine turned her head away. "Why…do you always say that?" she whimpered. "Back on the island, they say things like that…putting me down for the life I've chosen. 'Goodness and love will always prevail!', 'Dark fiends like you will be running with your tails between your legs!', 'You'll regret doing this!'!"

"Well no offence, but…" Tyson began, and regretted it soon after. Raine jumped back several feet, almost instinctively, when he said it.

"If…if only you knew how many people have told me that!" she wailed.

"I'm sorry! Sorry, okay? But seriously, if you were to help save all those prisoners, people wouldn't think poorly of you anymore"

The opposite of what Tyson intended to mean, Raine was very insulted by that last comment. "People…think poorly of me?!"

"No, that's not…"

"People have said that I'm wicked before, but I…never…took it seriously; they just say that because…they feel that they're different than me. They don't mean it. You…do _you_ think poorly of me because I'm in leagues with Pharoas?"

Tyson sighed uncertainly. "Honesty, I _do_ kind of…I mean, Mr. Dickinson puts so much emphasis on how bad Pharoas is and how hard we need to try and stop him.., and those 'missing' people…"

Raine's heart sank even lower. She'd never really considered what _they_ thought. _They_, being everyone else. People had a deep hatred for Pharoas, and Raine knew that; but was she, being loyal to him, just as bad?

"Well…thanks for being honest" Raine said in a tone that wasn't the least bit thankful. "If you're still keen on going to the island, then meet me again here at…any time past ten thirty is fine"

"Isn't that kind of late?" asked Tyson doubtfully.

"Well, Pharoas wouldn't believe me if I told him that I managed to get a hold of the Beyblade World Champion in broad daylight, would he?!"

"It doesn't matter how late" Tyson said bravely. "My friends are more important than anything else. I don't care what I'll have to do, as long as they're back here with us!"

Raine tried to hide her faint smile. That Tyson kid was so energetic, even in the midst of bad times like this.

"I thought that they were your enemies, but you call them _friends_"

"Well, in the heat of battle, they're fierce enemies. Fierce enemies who never back down easily, no matter the intensity of the fight. But when the day is done, or if someone needs a hand, we're always there for each other!"

"That…must feel great; knowing that you've always got friends alongside you", complimented Raine.

There was a long moment of silence after that. Tyson, thinking of all the friends he'd met over the years; and Raine, imagining herself standing amongst a group of Beybladers, all of them raving about her. For once, she was the centre of attention. Both Tyson and Raine sighed that the precise same time. Then Raine spoke up to break the slightly awkward silence.

"Anyways, I can _take_ you to Mendoza's lair, but I'm afraid that you'll need to find a way home yourself. As much as you think it's a good idea for me to turn my back on him, I don't want him to know that I'm helping you out. So it'll seem like you planned this whole thing yourself, agreed?"

"I…have to get back here on my own?" Tyson asked apprehensively. "Along with anyone I rescue?"

"Peh. Quit talking like a hero".

Tyson and Raine looked around confusedly.

"…Who just said that?" Tyson asked.

"Wasn't me" Raine answered, shrugging.

Tyson frowned, and jumped to a slightly reasonable conclusion. "Alright,_ Kai_, get out of here!"

No response.

"Then whoever you are…go away!"

Nothing again.

"Maybe we're hearing things" Raine suggested.

"Maybe…but probably not" Tyson said, still convinced that someone was watching him. He looked all around, but there was no trace of anyone else being there.

"Anyways," Raine continued. "Are…you still wanting to go through with this?"

"Sure!" he answered.

"…If they catch you, I'm afraid I cannot help, Tyson. Too risky…"

"Well sometimes we have to take risks"

"Not now. During this time and day, we can't _ever_ let our guard down."

Tyson reluctantly agreed.

Everyone back at the hotel had just finished hearing the news that the tournament was going to be postponed until 'everything is resolved'; they were all less than happy to hear about it. It only added to the already depressed mood of the week, and that's the last thing anyone needed.

"That's it; I'm leaving" Judy declared angrily while her and her team were sitting around a breakfast table.

"What do you mean…you're actually _leaving_?" asked Rick.

"What I mean is that this whole thing is getting out of hand!" Judy continued. "People disappearing, people getting hurt, people breaking the law…this is supposed to be a Beyblade Tournament, not a…a…"

"A riot?" Michael finished her sentence.

"No, more like a World War" Rick objected in a matter-of-fact kind of tone.

"You don't know what you're talking about…are we charging at an opposing army with guns?" Michael asked sarcastically.

"We're fighting, and there are people here from all around the world" Emily explained. "Technically, what Rick says is right. But this isn't _really_ like a war. Nobody's hurting each other…not intentionally, at least."

The whole group sighed.

"Guess I'm not really leaving…it's just that me and many other people are worried" Judy continued. "I'm actually _glad_ that Mr. Dickinson's decided to stop this tournament for a little while. At first, I was as angry as you four. But now that I think deeper…it's the best thing for everyone."

"There has to be some way to amuse ourselves for a few days…" Eddy said, pondering.

"We're in Hawaii!" Michael explained. "There's loads of stuff to do here!"

"Like…?"

"Have you tried surfing yet? I haven't! I'll have to do so!"

"Max said that it's hard" remarked Judy. "Much harder than it looks. If you're going to get into surfing, practice extra hard"

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we all be thankful for some time to train? You guys can goof around all you want _after_ we win this tournament. For now, get out your blades and practice at that instead!"

Eddy and Michael groaned. Stupid Emily, they thought, ruining our fun. Rick and Judy laughed at the two moping All Starz.

Others, however, were not enjoying the break as much.

The Blitzkrieg Boys sat glumly in an alleyway behind their hotel.

"This is so boring…" Brian moaned, for the third time.

"For the last time, _I get it_!" Tala barked back. "I know that there's nothing to do…_I know…_"

Tala suddenly caught a glimpse of something overhead. A very quick something dashing and leaping from one building to the other. He glared expectantly up and the roof of the buildings on either side of him. But nothing more happened.

"And we were told not to get into any trouble" added Spencer. "Whatever we do, we also have to watch our backs; with all the creepy things going on, and such."

After the group fell into a dull silence, so Wyatt spoke up for the first time in a while. "Well, why don't we go get some ice cream?"

The other three boys stared at him, perplexed at what he just said. Wyatt stopped dead and was beginning to regret the suggestion.

"Ice cream?" Tala asked furiously. "You've got nothing to do, and the first thing that pops into your puny head is ice cream?!" He growled angrily. "How the heck did you ever become a Blitzkrieg Boy?!"

While Tala continued to fiercely oppose ice cream, the other two team members thought to themselves.

"You know, I've never actually tasted ice cream" Brian commented.

"I haven't in a long time" said Spencer. "Junior, do you know where they sell ice cream?"

Tala gasped. "You guys are unbelievable sometimes!"

Wyatt ignored him. "Downtown there's an ice cream stand. The stuff comes in three flavours; my favourite's chocolate"

"Well I'm staying here" Tala said stubbornly. "You're immature. I'm going to do some training while you're gone."

"Suit yourself".

The three boys left Tala on his own.

Tala felt that he'd rather be on his own anyways. He was still ashamed at himself for losing to Salima and Kane; his team mates were resenting him for it.

Now, he wanted to show no mercy. Prove to them that he was better, especially better than _Wyatt_. He's grown to detest the little blader. Not that he was jealous; Tala just didn't think he deserved to be on the team. He'd never even seen Wyatt blade before. Was he even any good?

Tala was deep in thought. He had to been pretty good, or else he's never be recruited…

There it was again. Tala suddenly felt that strange presence as he did before. There was _definitely _someone watching him…he could feel it this time.

He looked over his shoulder franticly, but there was nobody there. Then he stared overhead once again to find nothing. But he was still uneasy…and it wasn't like him to get nervous. Tala paced backwards slowly, out of the alley.

Before he reached the light, Tala talked himself out of it. "_Come on…you're not a baby Tala, just stay right where you were. You said that you'd wait there. Leave and they'll assume that you're afraid. You know you're not_".

So he quickly marched back to his place in the alley. Now he felt stupid; anyone who'd seen that would be laughing right now. The Russian boy even chuckled to himself for a second.

And if Tala hadn't still been on his guard after he felt that someone was watching him, he probably wouldn't have been able to counter what happened next.

Tala _had_ seen someone on the rooftops above him; an unfamiliar person cloaked in a dark robe. This person leaped off the roof and slid down the wall, then jumped and toppled onto Tala's back. Tala fell to the ground face first as a result.

He tried to push himself up but the figure had him pinned down. The person grasped Tala's shoulder and powerfully flipped him onto his back.

In a frantic way to fight back, Tala kicked the person in the ribs as hard as he could. It stunned him for just enough time to let the Blitzkrieg Boys' leader pull himself up.

But the attacker got to his feet just as quick.

"What the…?" Tala began, then had to dodge franticly to the side of the alleyway; the cloaked attacker ran forwards attempting to tackle him. Tala grabbed his hood and pulled him backwards, choking the attacker and revealing his face.

It was Garrett; but Tala had never even laid eyes on him before. To him, this person was just a crazy kid; not an experienced kidnapper.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?!" Tala demanded, yanking on the hood again.

"It's so much easier when they're not awake…" Garrett sighed.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tala pushed the kid forwards. But Garrett did not struggle, nor did he turn around and push back. He just let Tala shove him.

"I've got to go" he said sadly. "I tried. I failed. I congratulate you"

Then Garrett turned tail and sprinted away. Tala followed him onto the street, but couldn't catch sight of him after that.

"I don't believe those words just came out of my mouth… 'I tried, I failed, I congratulate you'…Pharoas is turning me into some sort of puppet! I'm saying _exactly_ what he instructed me to!"

Garrett looked around desperately. "I need to find someone else. I hate myself for this; but I'd hate having to go to Mendoza's island even more…"

He needed to abduct someone else, and immediately. "There's three bladers already in hospital…I'm sure they'd be easy"

Garrett thought that over a second time. "…What am I thinking?! That'd be an awful thing to do!"

Now he was beginning to panic. He couldn't think straight. Because there was one solution that wouldn't stop haunting his mind…

"_Turn her in. You heard that whole conversation between her and the Bladebreaker; she's betraying Pharoas. Turn her in to the coach and they'll have two new people to send to Mendoza's Island."_

Garrett _really_ didn't want to be obliged to doing that. Raine was his partner. But, if all else fails…

Nightfall came much quicker than anyone anticipated. There was definitely more than one person who was uneasy that night; Raine and Tyson were both nervous about their trip to the island. Tala was concerned if he'd have another encounter with Garrett. Ray had re-visited the hospital earlier that day; both Salima and Mariah were _still_ in critical condition and they'd say no more than that. And Garrett was completely distraught over his situation.

"I'm going out for a while" Tyson announced in front of his entire team in the hotel.

"Then someone's going with you" said Hiro. "I've been thinking about everything that's been happening and have decided to take extra safety precautions. From now on, don't want any of you walking alone; especially at night"

Tyson let out an angry moan. "Come on, _coach_, I'm not a little baby. I'm going…_somewhere _and I'd apreciate not being followed."

Hiro got that hard look in his eyes again, the one he only showed when his brother disobeyed him; which was happening more and more frequently.

"Tyson, you heard me; somebody has to be going with you."

Max stood up. "I'll go with ya, Tyson." Then he walked over to Tyson and whispered. "I'll just accompany you until we get out of this building, then I'll leave you alone and pretend that we 'accidently' got separated."

"I heard that!" Hilary yelled in the annoying, nagging tone. "Tyson and Max are planning to ditch each other as soon as they're out of your sight!"

"Why you little…!" Tyson lunged forwards towards Hilary. Hiro purposely tripped him.

"She's right; Max and Ray probably won't actually stay with him for long" Hiro said.

"You know, that's likely true" agreed Ray.

Hilary sneered at Tyson victoriously.

"How about you, Kai?" the coach asked. "You don't look very busy".

Kai was sitting in a chair which he'd pulled up to the window. He was gazing out at the abandoned area where he assumed that the original BBA Tower stood many years before. And beyond that shadowey place was a mountain; not very tall but visibly rugged.

"There's definitely something about that…but I'm just not exactly sure…" he muttered.

"Huh?" Hiro asked.

Kai turned around, unaware that Hiro was listening. "Nothing. I wasn't listening."

"Tyson wants to go for a walk. Could you follow him for safety reasons?"

"Let me make this clear for the _last time_; I am _not_ Tyson's babysitter!" Kai disagreed fiercely.

Hiro was taken aback. "Okay then, where's the Chief?"

"Went to bed almost an hour ago" Ray answered.

"Hilary, then."

"What?!" Hilary shook her head. "Kenny and I have to babysit Tyson all the time back home; I'm not going to accompany him here as well!"

"Well your only other options are to wake the Chief from his much-deserved rest or convince Kai"

Kai shot her a very mean look that said "don't bother trying."

"Fine…" Hilary sighed. "Come on, Tyson, this better be quick".

Hilary kept asking him where he was going on their way down the sidewalk. Tyson kept trying to ignore her.

"_I've gotta find a way to lose her. She's such a pain…and Raine made me promise to come on my own._"

Tyson thought up a plan. Not very complex, though. And it was rather mean. But it would work; after all, Hiro had done it to him only a few minutes ago.

He lead Hilary down to the waterfront, on one of the newly-built docks.

"Why the heck are we here?" she repeated.

"…Because." Tyson answered bitterly.

Hilary stared confusedly out at the ocean. "You know, the ocean's pretty. I like how it displays a perfect reflection of the full moon. The water's real calm…"

As she least expected it, Tyson stuck his foot out in front of hers and tripped her. And exactly as he'd planned it, Hilary completely lost her balance and fell into the water. Then Tyson guiltily made a run for it.

"I'm going to kill you, Tyson Granger!" she hollered as she choked on salt water.

"It's for your own good" said Tyson as he ran. "You'd hate it at the island. Of all the people who I know, you'd probably be the least willing to be forced to work for some evil dude."

"What nerve Tyson has…" Hilary said, panting, as she unsuccessfully tried to climb back onto the dock. "I can't believe that he'd go this far just so he could be alone. Sometimes, he can be so disrespectful."

After nearly getting back up, she slipped and ended up underwater again. When she emerged, Hilary continued to complain about Tyson.

"I haven't done anything bad to him; and I _try_ to be nice, but sometimes he makes it so darn hard!"

Hilary looked up. A person with silvery hair, wearing thick, padded gloves and a long-sleeved jacket was standing on the dock, smiling sweetly.

He reached out his hand and pulled Hilary up out of the water.

"Thanks" she muttered, surprised that this person appeared so suddenly.

"People can be so cruel sometimes, I know" he said softly. "I, myself, am forced to be very, very cruel…"

The boy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small glass of some kind of liquid; Hilary noticed but wasn't concerned.

"You don't seem all that bad; you helped me out just now" Hilary commented.

"Very cruel to you".

After he realized that Hilary wasn't chasing after him, Tyson slowed to a walking pace. He checked his watch. It was 10:10; for once, he would be on time.

Raine was waiting for him at the dock. She began her explanation without introduction.

"Nobody ever visits this abandoned place, except you, me and the chopper; which should be here in a matter of minutes. All you need to do is pretend to be dazed, like you don't know what's going on, but still listen to what me and the pilot tell you."

"What happens when we get there?" Tyson asked eagerly, like this was some kind of an exciting adventure.

"It takes about a half hour to get there; Demitri the pilot flies really fast. When we arrive, there's another man…Kilik, I think that's his name…he and Demitri take you to the head office…" Raine paused hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" inquired Tyson.

"I'm still…really unsure about this whole thing"

"Don't worry about me."

Raine smiled weakly. "Okay, then. I'll try. Anyways, they take you to Mendoza's office. I don't know what happens after that. But I assume he throws you in some kind of a jail. By then, you can act like your normal self; the draft that we give to the victims wears off by then…"

They both heard the chopper when it flew high above the waters. It was so loud that Tyson feared it would wake up the entire island.

"Here." Raine held out a silver Beyblade. In the other hand, she had a silver armband.

"These look familiar…" Tyson tried to remember where he'd seen it before. "…Quinlan!"

Raine nodded. "It's called the Fusion Blade. Pharoas used it a long time ago, and he told me to get it back for him. I…want you to have it instead"

Upon doing that, Raine was crossing the line; she had betrayed her master completely. She refused to admit it to herself. But she would only be able to fool herself for so long.

"What do you want me to do with it?" asked Tyson.

"Just keep it. Who knows; maybe you could use it or something. It'll be safer with you than with Pharoas"

The chopper landed nearby the boarded-up building. Immediately, a man got out an greeted Raine with surprise.

"Hiya, Rainey" He looked Tyson over carefully. "This Ty-son !? Champ blader?"

Tyson guessed that this Demitri fellow was new to the English language.

"That's him alright" Raine sighed.

"An honour it is to have got him! I kid you not, Rainey! Boss Mendoza would say so himself. You proud?"

"I'm never proud to have captured someone; you know that, Demitri"

"Oh well…I think you should be proud. So, Garrett not with you tonight?"

Raine looked around. "He should be here, with another person"

Tyson was disgusted. Another person going to the island against their own will was awful.

"Then we wait few minutes longer for Garrett. But if he not here in ten minutes, we leave, da?"

"…Da" Raine agreed.

Kai had made up his mind.

"That's it; I'm going back to the burned Tower. I'm going to figure everything out once and for all…the dreams and everything. There is definitely more to those ruins than meets the eye"

He picked up Dranzer on the way out of the room, and started for the old Tower ruins.

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**The Island** is what the next chapter is called. Original name, eh?

Hope you liked this chapter. Please R&R, but no flames please.


	16. The Island

Hiya! Sorry, I've taken forever to update. There are two reasons why; I've had a busy Christmas, and I hurt my wrists bad on the snowmobile a week ago.

Guess I've forgotten a disclaimer for the last five or six chapters. So here it is to make up for all the other times I've rejected doing so:

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Beyblade or anything to do with Beyblade. I do however own all the OC's…

BeybladerLinkin64: No, _I_ made Blaise and Quinlan! Therefore I own them.

Velocity-of-light: Okay, okay, he's right. I own all the OC's except Quinlan and Blaise; my brother owns them.

If for whatever reason you wanna use an OC of mine or my bro's, just ask; I probably won't say no, unless they're going to be one of Hilary Duff's groupies or serve coffee to the president. But I have to know what they'll be up to…the point is, I'll probably say yes.

Please ignore any spelling mistakes. My computer's spellchecker is set to french and it will not go back. I'll try and fix this problem.

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They ended up playing the waiting game for well over ten minutes. Garrett didn't arrive within Demitri's time limit, but Raine begged to stay and wait for him longer.

Tyson strongly disagreed; but he had to keep playing the role of a dazed prisoner who had no idea what was going on. If Garrett didn't arrive, did that mean that he was unable to capture anybody? The Beyblade Champ kept his fingers crossed that this was indeed the case.

Demitri didn't want to hang around either. "I promise you ten minutes. Then I promise you ten more minutes. How long are you wanting me to stay here?"

"Just ten more minutes" Raine answered.

"You says that before, now I bet you'll want to wait ten _more_ minutes afterwards!" Demitri said furiously.

"I know, I know…but we're a team; I really should wait for him".

Tyson couldn't understand Raine's motives. He thought that she was over that part of her life. That she was 'on the good side' now. But she was still loyal to her old friends, and swore that she was still loyal to Pharoas. It didn't make sense to Tyson.

It didn't make much sense to Raine, either.

The pilot looked at his watch anxiously again. "Ten minutes is over, Rainey-girl. We leave."

"But Demi…"

"No buts about it, Rainey! If we stay longer, people will see us standing 'round here with stolen helicopter, and stolen Bladebreaker too!"

Stolen helicopter? Man, these guys are cheap, Tyson thought.

Demitri complained, and complained, but Raine still did not want to leave. Eventually, at 11:00, he stubbornly grabbed Raine by the hood of her jacket and attempted to pull her into the chopper himself. Tyson so desired to get up, run over there and kick him.

"I guess…he failed to get anybody" Raine sighed.

After Raine throwing Raine into the large flying machine, Demitri did the same thing to Tyson. He didn't fight back.

There were five seats in the chopper old. Raine and the quirky pilot got to sit in the two front seats while Tyson sat in the back. It was uncomfortable. The machine started with a huge roar, when slowly ascended into the air.

Raine, Tyson and Demitri wore headsets that allowed them to hear each other above the roar that the chopper made. Tyson was very interested in what they were saying; since Demitri thought that he was under the influence of the draft, he may reveal some important information.

"Hey Rainey…I ever tell you about time that…?"

"Yes." Raine answered bitterly.

"But I've not even told you what it is yet!"

"Demitri, you've told me and Garrett all your stories already. The one about the prank phone call to the Russian embassy, the time you and your buddies went to Ohio and almost drowned in that lake…"

"I have new tale. You wanna hear?"

"No…"

Demitri frowned. "You still mad that we leave Garrett behind?"

"No, it's not that…I just don't feel like listening to another Demitri story. They always end up with someone getting hurt. And I don't like it when people get hurt".

The pilot was greatly disappointed, but made one last attempt to convince Raine. "It's funny."

"No, it's not. You think that your stories are hilarious, but…really, they're..."

Unfortunately for Tyson, they didn't speak for the rest of the flight; because Demitri was insulted that she wouldn't listen to his story, and refused to say anything else to her.

Garrett was weary. Weary from having to carry his captive all the way to the abandoned dock where he and Raine boarded the chopper whenever Mendoza required another slave.

Earlier, he'd ambushed Tala and failed to capture him. Tala nearly even knocked his lights out for trying. The event had shaken Garrett up pretty well; and for the rest of the day, he scampered around the city aimlessly; afraid to try and take anyone else, but in even more fear not to.

And by dusk, the nervous blader from Velocity of Light was longing to take the easy way out and tattle on his team mate. Tell Pharoas that Raine and the Bladebreaker had a secret alliance. He'd send both of them off to the island, and Garrett's job would be done.

He nearly did; it was an unexpected turn of events that changed his mind.

Garrett decided to follow Tyson that evening. He knew where the blader was headed; to meet up with Raine. He wondered why Hilary was with him but didn't care.

It was when Tyson ditched his female companion that Garrett made a change of plans. Everything suddenly got easier…she was all alone…the media wouldn't make a huge fuss, since she wasn't a blader. And he wouldn't have to turn in his partner.

But getting a hold of Hilary proved harder than it looked; who knew that a non-Beyblading girl could put up such a fight? The moment Garrett announced that he had to be 'very cruel' to her, Hilary went on the offensive. She knocked the small bottle that contained the draft, right out of Garrett's gloved hands. It hit the dock and smashed into a zillion pieces of glass.

So Garrett was forced to knock her unconscious instead. And therefor had to carry her all the way to the abandoned dock.

But when he arrived, to his horror, the chopper wasn't there. Raine wasn't there. Tyson wasn't waiting for him either.

"Maybe I'm…early. Yeah". Garrett took a glance at his watch, covering his eyes before he saw the time. Then he looked. It was 11:41. The chopper would've been and left almost an hour and a half ago.

Suddenly, he felt all alone in the universe. _"They're gone". _He laid his prisoner on the ground.

"Raine? Demitri…?" Garrett mouthed as his mind began slowly filling with panic. He checked his watch a second time; unfortunately he'd read it correctly.

"Nice one, Garrett. Now _you'll_ be going to the island!" tears filled his eyes. "Why did I have to be blessed with…the Beyblading talent that lead me here?! Why did I agree to go to that training centre…how come…"

It dawned on Garrett that he was talking to himself.

"Great…so now I'm going crazy?! Talking to myself, am I? Well I might as well!" Garrett directed his words to the sky. "I…have no future anymore! Mendoza's going to be my master forever! No, no, no, no, no…"

Meanwhile, Hilary was slowly beginning to rise from her unconsciousness. The first thing she heard when she came to, was the silver-haired boy screaming.

"I'm utterly useless sometimes! Now I'm going to the island…I don't wanna…go! I don't care what I have to do, I don't want to be a slave!"

"Where…am I?" Hilary whispered to herself, quietly enough so that Garrett didn't hear. She looked up, and there was the creepy kid she'd encountered earlier. "It's him again…what does he want with me anyways?"

"And then my Bit Beast will be taken away, just like all those other ones that belonged to the other Beybladers!" Garrett took out his blade and stared. "It'll be gone forever, because after they do what Pharoas tells them, he'll call out the monster…"

"Monster?!" Hilary gasped, a bit louder than she intended.

Garrett quickly turned around to find his captive awake. He'd almost forgotten that she was only unconscious before, not under the influence of the draft.

"Shoot…hey you, how long have you been up?" Garrett asked, putting on a tougher voice to try and mask his nervousness.

"Wait a minute, there's no such thing as monsters!" Hilary said. "Why would you say a thing like that? Monsters aren't real…"

Garrett was frustrated that the 'tough guy' attitude wasn't working at all, and she was still deep in thought about what he'd said before. Nonetheless, he tried it again.

"I asked, how much of that did you hear?! If you don't tell the truth I'll…uh…well, it won't be pleasant, so speak up _now_!" He paced towards the girl.

"You're…not scaring me one bit!" Hilary said defensively, although he was scaring her a lot. Because she had no idea where she was or who he was, or how she'd gotten there; it was impossible not to be uneasy in that sort of situation.

"I'll ask you one last time…" Garrett said, then desperately asked her, "Of those things I was saying before, how much of it did you hear?"

"I'm not going to talk, you freak! Why did you bring me here anyways?"

"Please…" Garrett dropped to his knees so that he was level with Hilary. His expression changed completely, from anger to need. "You heard me say that there was a monster…forget that I said that, please…"

"You mean, that there _is_ a monster?" Hilary didn't understand. A couple of seconds ago, this guy was standing yelling at her. Now, he was begging on his knees. She found it a bit pathetic.

"…Yes…" Garrett answered between sobs; he'd started crying again.

"But I know that monsters aren't real. It's just something that people made up. To scare kids."

"Well, it's not really a _monster_…it's a sacred spirit. Wait, forget that I said that too! There's no monster, and there's definitely no…oh, who am I kidding?! I've screwed up now…he's _really_ gonna have my head…"

Garrett knew how pathetic he sounded, and he didn't enjoy this act. But the voice in the back of his head begged to differ.

"_Keep it up. When the moment is right, strike. She could really come in handy."_

The chopper ride only lasted about forty-five minutes long. The foreign pilot went quicker than Tyson expected, even after Raine had warned him.

The disturbing fact was that it did not seem he was going fast because he was a very _skilled_ pilot; he kept an extremely rapid pace unintentionally. Demitri had mentioned that the chopper had been stolen, but did this guy even know how to operate it properly!? Tyson felt relieved to be alive after thinking it over.

The island was relatively small, but perhaps it only looked that way because a huge and ugly gray building overshadowed the landscape.

"We're here" Raine announced when the chopper lowered to a concrete landing strip.

Demitri gave her a funny look. "…Who ya talking to, Rainey-girl? I know we're here. I come here all the time. And he…" Demitri pointed to Tyson, "he can't hear you. He's out. Can't hear a thing or even understand what's going on"

"…Right" Raine answered, turned around and winked at Tyson, unaware that Demitri was still watching. Demitri glanced suspiciously at both of them.

When the chopper landed on the concrete surface, Demitri exited and looked around.

"Where's Kilik?" he asked himself. "Never mind, he'll come. Can't have gone anywhere, has he? Rainey, you bring blader out here. Wait for me while I go look around for Kilik, da? Probably forget we was coming tonight."

Raine got up and lead Tyson out of the vehicle; Tyson, who was still pretending to be dazed, tripped on the steel steps on way out and toppled on top of her. She laughed and pushed him off. Tyson held back laughter too, and Demitri sneered.

"Be right back" Demitri closed, then proceeded through an automatic steel door on the far side of the outdoor landing strip.

For a moment, Tyson stared out at his surroundings. There was a clear view of the entire island from up here. They were standing on top of the large building that dominated the landscape. A large area of ocean water was roped off, and a steel fence surrounded the entire island. It was clear to say that Mendoza did not like unwanted visitors on his territory.

"This would be a good time to run" said Raine. "Demitri and Kilik will be back in a matter of minutes. "I don't know if you'll have a chance to get away after this…"

"…Okay then, I'll go" Tyson said with determination.

"If you intend on paying a visit to the imprisoned Beybladers, then make a left as soon as you enter the building, then right further down the hallway, you'll find where they're kept…when they're not at work. I wouldn't suggest going right when you enter…that's the place even I'm not authorized to visit. Mendoza's office is there."

Both nodded. Tyson stepped forwards to his newfound ally. "So…I guess I'll be seeing you later…if all goes well."

"I hope so too" Raine agreed.

"Thanks a lot, Raine. I'm really glad that you were honest with me."

"No problem. This actually benefits me as much as it help you guys out as well…in a way"

Tyson started towards the entrance that Demitri used, on the far side.

"Wait up!" Raine called suddenly.

"What?!" Tyson turned around.

"………Nothing. Never mind, Tyson. Good luck anyways."

Tyson didn't have time to worry about what Raine had said; if he was going to do something, he'd have to do it now; without hesitation. So he bounded towards the steel door without looking back.

The door opened and slammed shut with a loud creak. Inside the building was not as Tyson expected; any other enemy base he'd infiltrated in the past like the old Team Psykick building had dark, dimly-lit grey walls that gave a very imposing impression.

This place _looked_ more like...well, much different. The brick walls were painted a ghostly, pale white and were lit brightly by lights on the ceiling. The marble floor was so shiny that Tyson could nearly see his own reflection.

"What…the heck is this place supposed to be? It's so bizarre, it kinda creeps me out…"

Tyson laid a hand on the wall, just trying to comprehend this place. The hall was so narrow and white, he felt that they threatened to close in on him. A closter-phobic person would go insane.

Suddenly, he heard voices coming from around the corner to his left.

"Then I offer to tell story to cheer her up, and Rainey don't even listen! She says I already told that one!"

"You probably have."

"But I hadn't even started and she judged it! It was about time we brought a dog home…you wanna hear, Kilik? I'm positive you ain't heard it yet."

"Fine, fine…tell me about this dog."

Darn it. Demitri and Kilik were coming this way. Raine told him not to go right, but he had no choice. Quickly, he turned around and ran in the opposite direction, down the empty hallway.

"Well, it all started long time ago, back when we were still allowed to go for walk on Friday nights, as long as we back by nine thirty. Like usual, Lev wanted to go clubbing, but we object, da? So we all go separate ways for that night. My pal wants to go see Lenin's statue again, but I say nay! We sees that last week! Anyways…"

Tyson turned another corner and stopped to catch his breath, then took a sigh of relief when he heard the creak of the steel door opening and closing, and the voices drown out.

"I don't think they saw me…phew…"

But he soon learnt that his troubles weren't over as he heard another sound, this one less reassuring than the last.

"RAINEY! Rainey, where's the Bladebreaker boy Tyson?! What'cha do, Rainey!? Talk, RAINEY!" The door creaked again.

Tyson franticly looked around. They were coming his way. There were two doors a bit further down the hall. The first one had a bronze nameplate on it that read "PRIVATE". The second one had a piece of lined paper taped onto the door that said "DO NAY ENTER".

Neither of the two sounded very inviting, but the two men were approaching fast; Tyson made a quick decision with Do Nay Enter.

He viciously tried to turn and yank the door open, but the door refused to. Finally, he instinctively took out his blade and launched it at the gold-painted handle. It had no effect. Tyson picked up Dragoon and tried a second time at hitting the door. But it still didn't budge.

"Come on!" he grunted angrily, picking up the blade once again. This would have to be his last attempt. He wouldn't have time after this.

He inserted the blade into his launcher. Then he took out the turbo winder. (A/N: That's what my brother told me it's called. If it's not, please correct me. This is the thing you use to wind up the engine gear)

Knowing that he was short on time, Tyson only wound up the engine gear twice. He aimed. For one significant moment, Tyson blocked out all other thoughts, forgot about everything else that had happened, therefore focusing all his concentration on his blade…and launched.

The Beyblade hit the door directly and knocked it open, so hard that it hit the wall when it swung.

"Thank you Dragoon!" Tyson sighed proudly.

There was a round table with six chairs placed around it in the middle of this room, which was painted all white like the hall. Tyson took one of the chairs and jammed it under the door handle, so it would be difficult for anyone else to get in. Then he threw himself into another chair to catch his breath and rest.

"I…have got to be more cautious…starting now. Phew."

The oak round table was empty. But a smaller desk in the back corner of this oddly-shaped room was full of stuff; an old telephone, an equally old radio, some pencils, an exploded pen, a ripcord, a wallet…it reminded Tyson of his own desk back home.

There were folders stacked up beside the desk in alphabetical order. Tyson randomly pulled one from the stack, just out of curiosity. The title was written in bold black letters on the front. It started with a T, followed by an H, E, R, M, O, L, Y, S, I, and a final S. Thermolysis.

"Where have I heard that name before…" Tyson asked himself with immense hope that he'd answer his own question. Nothing came to him right away; so he decided to read some files within the folder.

An old newspaper was the first thing that fell out when Tyson opened the old folder. The headline was something Tyson had to look twice at.

_What is The BBA Hiding from us?_

He had the urge to read on.

_There isn't a single soul out there who wasn't excited at the opening of the BBA Tower. This Beyblading tournament has attracted more people this week then any other tourism spot has in the last three years in our community. But in all the excitement and rush of the event, are we forgetting the law?_

_That's a thought that entered people's minds for the first time yesterday, when the Beyblader Jed Stuart ended up in the emergency room after a Beybattle. Although the medics are unsure of what exactly is happening to him, the Beyblader is suffering fatal mental and physical anguish._

_Inflicting that kind of pain on a person is assault. So why hasn't Felix Smith, the other Beyblader who is responsible for this, being punished by the law? Beyblade is a sport now; not supposed to be a weapon._

_We addressed the question to an anonymous BBA official. "I understand your concern about this, but we feel that what has been done is not of that kind of extremity. The law doesn't have to be involved here. The BBA can handle this."_

_In the end, the BBA decides to merely disqualify the Extreme Bladers from the tournament. Is this reasonable punishment for fatal damage on a preteen boy? Send us your opinion._

"Wow. This must be what Mr. Dickinson told us about; that thing with Pharoas a long time ago." Tyson put the newspaper back in the folder. "I guess the BBA was wrong. They _didn't_ handle the situation. They ended up having their headquarters burned to the ground. It's horrible…"

Then he heard voices again, coming from the hallway.

"Have you checked the lobby yet?"

"No, you did it, da?"

"I did not! You were supposed to, Demitri! I told you twice…are you deaf?!"

"Well, sorry! My English still sketchy, Kilik! Have you noticed not?"

"I thought you just had a speech problem. I'm sorry. Let's go check out the lobby".

The sound of footsteps gradually got fainter and fainter until they were gone.

"I should probably get out of here" Tyson thought. He tried to put everything he'd touched back into it's original place. Then he thought; _maybe this Thermolysis file would come in handy_…so he kept it. Everything else looked just as it did before he got there.

He pushed the old door open as silently as he could, looking both ways to see if the coast was clear. To his luck, there was nobody in sight.

Tyson kept his guard up as he walked slowly and silently down the halls…the dreaded, ghostly white halls. He didn't know why this happened, but they made him dizzy and filed his head with nervous thoughts.

Things were starting to occur to him; _What exactly do you plan on doing if someone sees you; fight? How do you plan on getting home? If they do get their hands on you, what's going to happen to Dragoon? And Raine? And all the other enslaved people? Hilary's gonna kill you when you get back…_

Tyson began to run. He couldn't stand this place. Why, though? It didn't matter; for now, he focused on getting to the end of the hallway.

Finally, he reached the end. This was where he was supposed to go right before. The left lead somewhere else. To the right, there was another automatic steel door. The light above it was flickering. Tyson proceeded.

It lead to a stairway. At first Tyson was thankful that it was dark as opposed to white and brightly lit; then he realized how easy it would be to fall down. So he took each stone step, one at a time, with great caution.

Part of him knew what he would find at the bottom, and part of him didn't want to know.

All the alleged missing people, behind bars.

This room was the opposite of what he'd seen before. It was dark and gloomy like a dungeon. Half the circular room was behind thick, steel bars, as were the imprisoned people.

Miguel, the leader of the Barthez Battalion, was lying down on the floor, clutching to the bars like they were his life. Matilda was lying a few feet away on her back. A man, who'd Tyson only met once, was sitting farthest away, sleeping. He knew that this was Brad. Aaron was doing the same in the middle of the prison.

Claude was standing on all fours. His face was pale and it was obvious that he was sick. Another person who looked unwell was Kane. He'd removed his shirt and instead was resting his head on it. Lee was the only one standing upright. At first glance he looked fine, but on closer inspection you could clearly see various cuts on his arms and one on his neck. Everyone had clearly lost some weight.

"Oh my…god…" Tyson was astonished. He'd never imagined that it would be this bad. Demitri, Mendoza and all the other people here had no concern of their well-being.

"Tyson?" Miguel looked up in disbelief.

Everyone turned to see the Bladebreaker standing in front of the prison bars. Lee ran forwards and grabbed onto the bars.

"Tyson, get yourself out of here, right now!" Lee ordered.

"What?! Lee, _I've_ come to get _you _out of here!"

"You should listen to him, Tyson" Matilda added to Lee's comment. "While the coast is clear. Get out of this horrible place while you have the chance!"

Tyson looked around the room a second time. "…Why isn't there anyone on guard here?"

"They're all looking for you" said Brad, who'd woken up. "But they'll come back. Listen to Lee; go away now"

He shook his head. "You've all suffered enough. I've heard about how they force you to do work and generate power! It wasn't easy coming here and I'm not leaving unless all of you are leaving with me!"

"You think that you're being noble, but what you're doing is foolish!" Lee continued.

"No! Look at you guys…look at yourself, Lee!"

"I haven't looked in a mirror since I got here, thank you very much Tyson!"

"…I'm sorry" Tyson apologized.

Lee's face saddened. "Look, we're all longing to get out of here. But what's more important is that we're the last people who ever have to suffer like this! We _need_ you to warn everybody back in Hawaii. Go back there and inform the other Beybladers. The Bladebreakers, the Majestics, Barbarians, White Tiger X, All Starz…even the Blitzkrieg Boys…everyone has to know about this! Now, get out of here!"

"Lee, you don't understand, we need you guys back at Hawaii as much as you need us. Bad things have happened…real bad things. I at least need to _tell_ you all about it"

"What do you mean, really bad things?" Kane asked. He attempted to rise to his feet but feel back down.

"Kane! Are you alright?"

"Tyson, remember the first night we arrived here, I was feeling sick?" Kane explained. "I thought that it was just my nerves…I was wrong…"

"Kane has a serious fever" Brad said. "He needs a doctor. So does Claude. They're both sick"

Kane laughed. "Don't worry so much about me…I'll be okay…for a while longer"

Tyson didn't buy any of this. He could tell that they all wanted to be rescued. He could tell that Kane and Claude were both ill. But even through all this, they cared for the safety of their friends more, and Tyson couldn't refuse that.

"F…fine then" Tyson agreed reluctantly. "If you really, really want, then I'll go"

"Tell Salima that I'm okay; don't say that I'm sick" Kane asked. "She worries about everything way too much. If she finds out that any of us are unwell, she'll panic".

"Okay, I promise not to mention that" Tyson answered.

"Thanks for coming anyways…" Claude said, then coughed multiple times.

"You're all welcome. Just hold on a bit longer!"

Halfway up the stairs, Tyson met up with a someone else.

"It's you…there's no escape from us!" he cackled. The man wore a dark cloak, which seemed to be the trademark clothing of Pharoas' twisted organization.

"Oh crud…" Tyson had to think fast now. He kicked the man's left ankle. The man cursed, then revolted; he kicked twice as hard as Tyson, kicked him right in the ribs. Tyson fell back down the stairs, all the way to the bottom. Then he dropped the folder which held all the Thermolysis files.

"Tyson!" Everyone in the prison called out. Tyson grabbed the folder and stood up. He had the files tucked under one arm, and was clutching his ribs with the other. The man ran down the stairs after him.

"Gotcha now, Tyson!"

The Bladebreaker had no choice now but to run. He limped towards the prison and fell back against the bars. The man ran by the bars, and was only a foot's length away from him when he stopped abruptly.

"What the…hey, stupid kid, let me go, son of a…!" The man yelled and then cursed twice. Tyson realized what was going on; when he ran close enough, Lee reached through the prison bars and snagged the hood of the man's cloak. Soon afterwards, Matilda and Miguel got up and helped. Now he was being held back by three strong teenagers who were just longing for this taste of sweet revenge.

"Run for it, Tyson" Miguel advised. "This guy's not going anywhere".

Tyson continued back up the steps without hesitation.

Back to the eerily white hallway. This time, he continued down the unfamiliar part of the hall, assuming that it lead to the lobby. He came to that conclusion only because it sounded like Demitri and Kilik were running in this direction before.

At the end of this hall was another automatic steel door. He crossed his fingers that there wouldn't be guards waiting for him in the next room…

But there was no another room. Tyson found himself outside, on a cliff, towering over the ocean below. The cool night breeze still blew, and the water was as calm as before.

"Oh man…how the heck am I going to get back now? I don't know my way around this place, and even if I did, I have absolutely no idea how I'm gonna get back to Hawaii!"

He tried his best to remain calm in this poor situation, but it was nearly impossible. _They've got you now. You saw what they're doing to the other prisoners! Thanks to your foolishness, you'll become one of them. And they'll continue to bring more people here, keep up their treachery, until everyone is gone. Then Velocity of Light will be the last team standing and win by default. Pharoas will be back on top. Who knows what'll happen next?!_

"I keep forgetting that Raine is an enemy. This 'kindness' had to be an act. I'm so stupid…and how could she have done this?! To think, she seemed so trustworthy; told me all about Pharoas and Mendoza, helped me get here, and even gave me the Fusion…"

That's it. Tyson had one secret weapon; the Fusion Blade! It had to be useful in some way, or else Raine wouldn't have given it to him. Maybe she wanted to help after all.

He dropped the files and took the silver Beyblade out of his jacket pocket. He'd been wearing the other artifact, the silver armband, this whole time and had forgotten about it completely.

Tyson had an idea. He wasn't sure if it would work, but it was the only plan he had, and he knew that the chances of thinking up a better one were slim. This was going to put his memory to the test…he had to remember exactly what he was told nearly a whole month ago. Tyson bowed his head and began searching his memory for the answer.

"_Felix placed his index fingers on his forehead and began moving his lips like he was talking, but he didn't make a sound."_

"_He marched into the middle of the stadium during, held his blade high up in the air and did that weird thing again. His blade glowed again, this time with a totally different intention. He released his Bit-Beast from the blade, without saying a word or moving an inch."_

That was it. That was what he had to do. Tyson took out his other blade, Dragoon. He removed the Bit Chip that held the blade's sacred sprit, and placed it in the Fusion Blade instead.

He took his hat off and threw it on the ground. Then he placed both his index fingers on his forehead.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…but it's not like I have much of a choice…"

Tyson followed his mental instructions; next, he mouthed the words _"Dragoon, I call upon your will and strength, to aide me at crossing these waters…" _He could barely comprehend what he was trying to say, it just seemed to come naturally.

Finally he held the blade high above his head, shut his eyes tight and waited to see what would happen.

There was a blinding flash of light. The blade began to vibrate violently, as if it was trying to escape Tyson's firm grip. It glowed a dark purple colour, then rose up into the air. At this point, Tyson tried to let go, but it wouldn't let him. It lifted him four feet high up. Tyson gripped it with his other hand, and was beginning to feel unsure whether he wanted the blade to drop him or if he was afraid to let go.

Suddenly, it threw him back down to the ground. There was another flash, and the blade fell next to Tyson.

Tyson rubbed his eyes. "Holy…smokes…what the hell was that?" His ribs were killing him again. Then he turned and look out over the cliff.

And before him was the great and powerful Dragoon. The enormous creature was hovering in the air, glowing a mysterious blue colour, staring and awaiting its next order.

"Dragoon…it worked! I can't believe this! I actually did it!" Tyson cheered. "Dragoon, I need you to take me to another island not too far from here, please? This is kind of an odd favour, odd to both of us but…"

Tyson wasn't scared at all. He was actually excited. Tyson quickly grabbed the Thermolysis files, leaped off the cliff and landed safely on Dragoon's back.

The gigantic Bit Beast rose higher into the air, turned around, then blasted off towards the ocean at an alarming speed. Tyson was jerked backwards and nearly lost his grip; ended up with one hand holding onto Dragoon and the other holding onto the folder. He struggled to pull himself back up. Surprisingly, it only happened once. Tyson got the hang of this after a while, and was soon able to predict when Dragoon was going to swerve sharply. It levitated just above the water's surface, and it's speed even caused waves as it glided by.

The Beyblader felt victorious. He'd managed to infiltrate a forbidden island, find all the captives and even got his hands on some restricted documents. All the bad thoughts from earlier had vanished.

Unaware that the Thermolysis files held information that would awaken someone's worst nightmares.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There ya go. Another chapter complete.

The next one will be called **The Thrashers**. You'll find out why when you read it. Oh, and since this whole chapter was pretty much all Tyson, the next one will primarily focus on Kai.

Please R&R, no flames plz. TTFN


	17. The Thrashers

Okay, there's a reason why it took about 5 weeks to update this. I went on a family ski vacation; there was a place there called teen alley where you could access a computer, but I was afraid the teens there would probably beat me up so I didn't go (They shot me the Kai glare whenever I walked by).

When I got home my teachers stormed me with homework I missed. I'm sorry. And sorry if you think that this one's too short.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

The last time that Kai made an attempt to explore the abandoned area around the burned tower, someone had caught him and put him right back where he started. But this time, he was prepared for anything. He had his trusty Dranzer with him; and he wouldn't let his guard down for a second.

But all the caution seemed unnecessary, for the nights had been very quiet for a while. Nobody else had vanished lately. Even so, Kai was ready in case something happened.

Kai was sure to keep track of some landmarks he'd seen from his last visit. As keen as the Russian blader was, there was still a good chance of him getting lost if he wasn't careful.

First, he found the old tennis court. That was where he'd woken up last time. It hadn't changed a bit and neither had anything else in the area.

He continued down the bare street, keeping an eye out for clues. If this really _was_ where the first BBA Tower once stood, there'd definitely be some evidence. And there was some; Kai peered through the glass window of an old store. He guessed that it was a souvenir store; there were posters and T-shirts inside.

"I'm gonna take a closer look at this. Could prove interesting."

Kai tried to force the door open, but it wouldn't budge. He only made a few attempts before standing back and launching his blade directly for the door instead. Dranzer's strength did not just make the door open; the impact bashed it down. It sent dust flying in every direction upon hitting the ground.

The entire store was caked in dust that had collected on the floor, the shelves, the counter…well, everywhere.

He pulled a jacket off one of the shelves and shook some of the dust off. It was a black, leather jacket with an emblem on the front; the initials SG. On the back, there was a violet spiral with a white star in the middle, and the bold letters "Spiral Galaxy".

"What's a Spiral Galaxy!"

Kai shrugged and put the jacket back. The he picked up a different one, which was almost the same, but with different emblems on the front and back. The front had a 'T' with blood dripping from it. On the back, the graphics of a blue Beyblade, impaled by a bloodstained dagger.

It was a pretty nice jacket.

Kai looked around consciously. "So if this place is abandoned, taking something won't be considered shoplifting right?"

The jacket seemed to fit him pretty well, anyways. And wasn't like anyone would care for one missing 'Thrashers' jacket.

Then he remembered…Spiral Galaxy and The Thrashers were teams from the first world Beyblade Championships! That told him that the Tower couldn't be far off, because this place marketed, or at least _used to_ market their merchandise.

And sure enough, three blocks away from the shop, was what remained of the BBA Tower I.

"I can't believe this…"

Kai stood before it in awe. A horrendous pile of charred remains. It was impossible to tell that this debris was ever, at any point in time, in the form of a magnificent tower. For thousands of square feet on the ground, there was just rubble. The ground was completely littered in it.

And to think, all this was done in a matter of minutes by a Bit Beast.

Kai began to walk through the debris. It was impossible depict anything; everything was the same; burnt and smashed into a million pieces.

And he felt strange; it was like all his dreams had been leading him here.

But that didn't make sense. The strange dream he'd been experiencing lately was different. In those dreams he was in a circular room, with pictures carved on the walls, which were changing constantly. And each time he tried to look up above, he'd awaken. It was as if his mind wouldn't allow him to. Or it was testing him in some way.

This place was unlike his dream in a thousand ways, yet it gave him the same feeling.

Kai kicked a stone out of his way. He continued to walk through this place aimlessly, until he was startled.

"Thrashers fan, huh?"

He spun around quickly and almost tripped on the stone he'd kicked. Three people he'd never expect to meet here; Hunter and Patrick from The Barbarians, and Sarge, their coach. The strange-looking mutt Fiasco trailed far behind, it's nose pressed to the ground like it was on the trail of something.

"Wha…what the heck are you doing here!" Kai demanded fiercely.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, before you slipped and started yelling at me" Hunter replied. Kai grunted angrily.

"Well, what are you here for!"

"Whoa, settle down!" Pat said, tossing his hair back in a very ignorant manner. "With all due respect, we've done nothing to deserve being yelled at. Didn't your parents teach you anything about common courtesy?"

It was completely unaware to Pat that he'd just made a huge mistake, that he'd hit Kai where it hurt. The Russian Beyblader stepped forwards, and shot a glare that could kill at Pat. Patrick jumped back, then Kai ran forwards, grabbed his shirt and jerked him forwards.

"I dare you to say that again" he threatened.

"Uh…I'm…Hunter, help me out here!"

Hunter smirked and shook his head.

"Just leave him alone." Sarge spoke for the first time. Kai abruptly shoved Patrick to the ground.

"What did I do?" Pat asked confusedly.

The coach stepped forwards. "We'll answer your question as soon as you answer ours. What are _you_ doing here? How did you even find out about this place?"

"I went for a walk and ended up here by accident" Kai lied. He wasn't going to tell these people about any of his weird dreams. "You?"

"Actually, we're on a search. I'm trying to find the place where Pharoas is hiding out. These old ruins seemed like the kind of place he'd reside." Sarge's look suddenly shifted to the ground. "…Don't look down" he said suddenly.

Naturally, everyone looked to the ground immediately after hearing that. Kai was shocked to see that the 'rock' he'd kicked and tripped over, wasn't a rock at all. It was a skull.

"They just left this place after the fire" Sarge said in a sigh. "Just left it as it was. They didn't clean up _anything_…and this shows that they didn't bury the victims either…"

"Eww…" Pat cried.

"That is mean and disrespectful!" yelled Hunter.

"Another reason why the people need to know about this" Sarge explained. "People have been erased from their family tree and almost nobody knows why. So many unanswered questions, yet the BBA still refuses to talk about the incident with the first Tower…it makes me sick."

A long silence followed. Everyone was deep in their own thoughts. Then suddenly, it was interrupted by loud howling and barking.

"What's up?" Sarge called back. "Fiasco? Where are ya, boy?"

The animal was nowhere in sight, but they could hear it's loud yelping.

"Fiasco!" Sarge called repeatedly. "Come back here!"

Something dawned on Kai. He'd forgotten before, but Sarge was Quinlan's father. The kid that was nearly killed in a Beybattle thanks to him. Kai felt the guilt take over him again, as it did after that match…it was horrible.

"I'm sorry" he blurted out. It wasn't in his nature to apologize, but remorse got the best of him.

"For what?" asked the coach.

"About your son" he continued. "I'm sorry about what happened to Quinlan."

Sarge took a deep sigh. "Thanks, but it's not really your fault. It's the damn Fusion Blade's doing. I…should've been more careful with it in the first place…"

"So that's what you call it; The Fusion Blade." Kai remembered the unusual Beyblade, and how it tortured the user each time it took damage. "Mind me asking how you got your hands on something like that?"

"If you must know, I stole it".

"You _stole_ it!" Pat and Hunter asked in disbelief.

"That's the truth. It was there when I found all the classified information about the BBA Tower I. A strange Beyblade and a matching silver armband…both sparked my curiosity. At first, I was only planning on borrowing it; but then I realized what it was. These artifacts were the ones use by Pharoas when he released Thermolysis and destroyed the Tower!"

Sarge paused and looked around again, then called the dog's name a few more times before continuing. Still no response.

"Anyways, the Fusion Blade and the silver armband disappeared after Quinlan used them. I swear that I left them on the desk in my room…but they vanished. At first, I was afraid that the BBA somehow got the artifacts back. Now I'm even more worried…"

"That Pharoas might have his hands on the Fusion Blade instead" Kai finished his sentence.

"Exactly. That's why we're looking for his base." He paused. "I like your jacket, by the way."

"Yeah, well…it's not exactly mine. I just found it."

"Do you even know who the Thrashers were?"

"One of the teams involved in Pharoas' little 'accident'"

Sarge frowned. "It wasn't an _accident_. It was a slaughter, and it was done intentionally. The Thrashers did nothing to deserve what they got. As you know, Jed of the Thrashers passed away after his fight with Pharoas. But two other team members died too; in the fire. Only one of the Thrashers is still alive to this day. It's very tragic…and yet nobody knows. But everybody should."

"Then, why are you the only person who's wanting to tell everyone about this? Wouldn't the surviving Thrasher guy help out, considering that his team mates were killed?"

"Probably too cowardly" Hunter remarked. "Isn't that why the BBA isn't telling anyone? Pharoas and Thermolysis shocked them into silence."

"Then they _are_ cowards" said Kai. "I kind of agree with you, now that I think about it."

"I never met the Thrasher guy…" Sarge said, then started grinning. "But in a lot of ways, you're like them."

"Like whom?" Kai asked reluctantly.

"Like the Thrashers. A team of people from various places around the world, with Beyblading their way to the top. Competing boldly with others…I think that in a lot of ways, the Bladebreakers are like the Thrashers."

"Well then I'd better hope that we don't meet an unfortunate end like they did."

"They say that history repeats itself…" Hunter muttered under his breath. Patrick, who was standing next to him, heard.

"That is a terrible thing to say, Hunter" Patrick said back.

Finally, Fiasco re-appeared. They spotted him standing on a large slab of concrete at the far end of the ruins. Sarge called to him again but he didn't move; he continued barking.

"I'm gonna see what's going on!" Patrick announced.

"Yeah, let's go!" Sarge added. "Come on, Hunter."

Sarge and Pat quickly ran to the dog. Hunter trailed behind with much less enthusiasm.

Kai shrugged and started to follow them. "This'd better be good" he muttered.

He caught up with them, only to find them standing in a circle, staring at a small crack in the ground that Fiasco had discovered.

"Now _that's_ impressive" Hunter said sarcastically.

"What do you find that's so interesting about this?" Sarge asked, patting the dog on its head. Fiasco growled.

"Move aside." Kai pushed Patrick and kneeled down next to the crack, inspecting it. There was definitely something unusual about it. Not in appearance, but something that he couldn't quite depict…he just sensed something strange…

"Don't they say that animals are always the first to know when something's wrong?" Sarge commented.

"That is what they say" Pat reassured. "But back home, they sometimes say that…"

They felt the ground shake lightly beneath their feet; and suddenly, the small slit in the ground split. It quickly turned into a fissure, like a gigantic sword had slit the ground in two. Kai jumped up and fought to keep his balance on the edge of the fissure. Then the ground crumbled beneath him, and he fell.

The hole that the fissure had opened up was shrouded in complete darkness, and it appeared to have no end. Kai heard himself and the others above scream, and seconds felt like hours as he plunged. Then suddenly, he hit the ground hard, landing right on his back.

Everything that had just happened seemed like a blur…it occurred so fast. Kai raced through his mind and tried to comprehend what had just happened.

There was a crack in the ground, it looked normal…then some sort of an earthquake, and the ground split in two. Next thing he remembered, he was here.

…Where exactly was _here_?

A cave. It was an underground cave, and Kai had somehow fallen into it. Jagged rocks lined the walls. And there was light. The chamber was clearly lit, but the light seemed to have no source; this place was many feet under ground, how could there be light? But there was one wall of complete darkness…it was a tunnel, that lead somewhere else.

It seemed to be the only way to go. Kai tried to push himself up; then pain shot throughout his entire body and he immediately fell back down.

"Dammit…!"

The fall…he'd just realized now how much it'd hurt. Horrible thoughts began to fill his mind. He'd heard stories about people who'd fallen off buildings, or out of airplanes. They suffered spinal injuries and were never able to walk again. What is this'd happened to him?

Kai tried his best to remain calm. He cleared his thoughts for a moment, trying to think straight, not being overwhelmed. But then, something else happened, and of all the bizarre occurrences tonight, this was by far the most disturbing.

"_You're fine…get up, now."_

"What!" Kai instantly snapped out of his thoughts. He'd just heard a voice. It came from no direction and wasn't distinct at all. He just…heard it.

He tried to push himself up again, obeying the voice. His pain was agonizing, but he managed to get up, leaning against the wall for support. The voice came again.

"_Follow the darkness. Do it, now…"_

"Who…who the hell are you?", Kai demanded boldly. He took a deep breath in and summoned up enough strength to run, towards the dark tunnel.

It was a short tunnel. He re-emerged into the light within seconds; and was completely awed at what he saw.

Kai gasped. He couldn't believe what was before him. A brightly lit, circular shaped room with golden walls. The walls were covered in carvings, of things that didn't exist; exactly like his weird dreams…

"Oh my gosh…but how…how could this be!". Kai ran his fingers over one of the carvings on the wall. He couldn't be dreaming _this time_, it was all for real.

"_Don't look so shocked…is this not what you expected to find upon coming here?"_

There it was again, the voice.

"Alright, that's enough! Who are you…where am I…just what exactly is going on! Why am I even here?"

"_Because I have been dormant for far too long, and time for me to be released is perfect...so_ _lead you here through your dreams_._"_

"_You're_ the reason I've been having those weird dreams? …Just tell me what you are already!"

"_Aren't you curious to take a glance upwards?"_

It was true. For some reason, Kai's dreams never allowed him to see what was carved on the ceiling. Each time he tried, he'd awaken from his dream.

"…What's going to happen to me if I do?" He asked apprehensively.

"_You're afraid?"_ it laughed. _"A sensed that you were a strong, brave Beyblader…not a coward…"_

Kai frowned. "I'm no coward. I don't know who or what the heck you are, but I'm not afraid of you!" He looked upwards then closed his eyes fast, expecting something to happen. But nothing did occur. He re-opened his eyes…

It was a enormous portrait; of a dragon, whose long body was covered in white flames. In appearance, it slightly resembled Dragoon, but with noticeable differences; it had black claws, and three horns on the back of its head. Its face was also concealed in flame, except for red, gleaming eyes, which shone through.

"_That would be me.."_

"You're that monster?" Kai gasped. He franticly looked everywhere and still couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. He armed himself with his blade. "Where are you? Show yourself now!"

"_It's impossible at the moment…but its also the reason why I lead you here. I did my duties many years ago, but when my master lost possession of the sacred blade, I was sealed away here. Only a powerful Beyblader can repossess that Beyblade…you, you're the one to obtain that blade and release me."_

"I…what!" Kai yelled confused. "_You_ are commanding _me_ to fetch this special Beyblade and break the seal…and you actually expect me to even believe this?"

"_Stubborn…I should've expected this behaviour from someone so tough as yourself. You have no choice but to do as I say"_

"Or else what? I told you, I'm not afraid!"

"_Have you not observed your surroundings? There's no way out of this place but up; and what will you attempt to do, climb back to the surface? The fall reduced your strength so much to the point that you can barely walk! I'm the only one who can get you out of this place."_

Kai remained stubborn. "I don't take orders from anybody".

"_I lead you here to send you on a mission because my master has neglected to release me yet. Last chance…either obey…or stay here and perish in the darkness, alone."_

"I…" He was ready to oppose again, when suddenly the thought truly hit him. If Kai refused one more time, it would be the end; he'd die here, there was no denying it. He didn't know exactly what this creature wanted him to do, but it _had_ to be better than the alternative, _right?_

Maybe so, maybe not.

* * *

So there ya go. What will happen next?

Well the next chapter concludes what happens to Kai then kinda picks up where the last one left off, with Tyson, and we'll find out what happens when he gets back to his team mates. And what happened to Hilary? And remember Cameron, the other Barbarian…he's missing too, but he wasn't at the island with the others…where is he? That's all in the next chapter…unless I decide to change something, which probably won't happen.

**RR **please, but **no flames plz**. Thanks a whole lot.


	18. Blackmail

Hiya. Thanks for the reviews, by the way. And I know that this one took about a month to finish…that's because of other things going on.

My past motto of "I have way too much free time" has been changed at the moment, to "I have way too many mean, inconsiderate, homework loving teachers".

I may only be an 8th grader, but I find school real tough sometimes. Especially lately since I ended up with some poor math marks last term…(D-…that's not too good, is it)

But enough of my whining, here the **disclaimer**: I do not own Beyblade, or any characters from the manga/ TV show; if I owned them…well if owned Beyblade I'd get them to write another season after G-Revolution! I only own the Ocs.

(Speaking of which, was I the only one who cried after watching the last episode of G Revolution? I mean, that's the last season! Last! I'm gonna miss it so much! Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! runs away crying)

Please enjoy.

* * *

The large island of Hawaii was coming into view. The enormous Dragoon speed reduced drastically as it approached the island. Tyson was still perched on his Bit-Beast's back, as he'd been for the past half hour. He'd used the power of the Fusion Blade to somehow release Dragoon from its Beyblade to assist him.

Tyson's entire experience at the island this evening had been overwhelming; the bladers forced to work, the mysterious 'Thermolysis files, the power of the Fusion Blade…he wasn't ready to explain everything to his friends.

Dragoon landed in the same spot the helicopter had. Tyson slid off his back with ease.

"Wow, that…that was amazing!" Tyson exclaimed. "I didn't know Dragoon had that kind of power…I…"

Suddenly, Tyson was short of breath. His whole body felt weak and he dropped to his knees.

The Fusion Blade. He remembered how when Quinlan had used it; the Beyblade seemed to drain his energy too.

Tyson tried to get back on his feet, but instead fell back down and slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

It only seemed like a minute to him, but Tyson was actually out cold for an hour. When he awoke, he found himself sitting on the floor of an elevator. It stopped suddenly and the doors slid open.

"Okay guys, help me out here…" He heard a familiar voice. It was Hiro.

"You look pretty tired; I mean, you _did_ carry him all the way here…want me to help out?" This time it was Ray.

"_Did they really carry me all the way here?"_ Tyson thought, surprised.

He heard Hiro again. "I'm fine. Seriously. Just lift him onto my back and I'll take him."

"I'm…okay" Tyson responded quickly. "I'm awake. I can walk myself…"

But even that proved difficult. Tyson managed to get up and walk the short distance to his room, but he tripped and stumbled the whole way.

Kenny and Max helped Tyson over to his bed and gently sat him down. He instantly fell backwards, sprawling himself out, his heart still pounding a mile per minute. His whole body still felt weak.

"Where've you been?" Kenny said with relief. "We found you somewhere on the outskirts of the city."

"That…was crazy…" Tyson breathed hoarsely.

"Calm down, Tyson" Hiro sat down next to his brother. "I can tell you've been through a lot, but I have to ask you to please tell me _exactly_ what is going on."

"Would it help if we left?" Ray offered.

"No, you guys stay…you'll all want to hear this, all of you. Everyone…" Tyson paused to take a deep breath.

"Just talk at your own pace" Hiro repeated comfortingly. Although he was rash sometimes, he did play the role of being a good older brother.

"…Everyone has to know. Every blader should hear about…but wait, no, they can't…"

"Just get it out of your system" Max said, in a serious voice for once. "Just tell us for now. We'll worry about everyone else later."

"Okay…where should I start? Oh, the missing people; Mr. D was right on this one. They were kidnapped, by Raine and Garrett. Under the orders of Pharoas. Everyone's at an island doing slave work; Lee, Kane, the Barthez Battalion, Brad Best's even there…and Raine…and Hilary, where is she!"

"S…slave work!" Hiro gasped.

"What about Cameron from the Barbarians?" Max asked nervously. "Their coach Sarge didn't ask the police to search. So…Cam was there too, right?"

"I didn't see him…" Tyson answered.

"Tell us more" Ray demanded.

"A guy called Mendoza is there running the place. A whole other bunch of guys worked there two, one of them was named Demitri. He talked strange and liked to tell weird stories. I heard the name of another guy, too, but I forget it now".

"They're forcing Beybladers to do slave work!" Hiro repeated in disgust.

"…Yes. To generate power and conduct experiments"

The other members of the team were still in complete and total shock about the whole thing. None of them had commented so far, until something dawned on the Chief suddenly.

"Tyson, a few seconds ago…did you ask about Hilary?" Kenny asked nervously.

"Yeah. Where the heck is she?"

"We were hoping that you knew. Remember when Hiro ordered her to go with you on your 'walk'? Well, we haven't seen her since. We just figured that you two would stick together like the coach said so."

Hiro frowned at Tyson. "Do _you_ have any idea where she is?"

"I already said no…" Tyson answered guiltily. "I kinda purposely lost her."

Hiro sighed angrily. "Well that's just dandy…we've got yet _another_ problem on our hands. Tyson, I told her to accompany you to prevent someone else disappearing, this is all your fault!"

"You…don't have to yell at me! None of this is _my_ fault! Well, at least not _directly_…but that's not the point! Don't you realize that I just risked everything to try and free the other bladers; I was doing something noble…"

"So you're trying to say that looking like a hero is more important than a friend's safety." said his brother. He bowed his head in shame. "I'd expect more from you, Tyson. Seriously."

Hiro left the room without saying another word, slamming the door shut behind him.

An awkward silence followed for a couple of minutes. Tyson couldn't think of a reply. Max gazed out the window at nothing in particular; he was just trying to think straight. Everything that Tyson had just told him was overwhelming. The Chief was curiously looking over the Fusion Blade and the folder which held information on Thermolysis.

"Tyson, what is this?" he asked.

"Oh, _that_…?" Tyson replied, trying to act dumb, not wanting to reveal the secret about that blade. "Long story behind _that_"

"It certainly has some unusual properties" Kenny remarked, taking the Beyblade apart and shifting his attention away from the files.

"Just tell him about the Beyblade, Tyson" Max snapped back.

Tyson groaned. "Come on Max; don't tell me that _you're _angry with me as well!"

"I'm sorry, Ty, but this whole thing about ditching Hilary…it could have been prevented, if you hadn't acted immaturely!"

"Max, you're saying that _I'm_ the one who's immature? Me? I'm not the one who plays in the elevator, jumps up and down on the beds and carries on like a toddler whenever we visit a hotel!" He laughed.

"That's not the point. Just maybe…you should act a bit more responsible. More world-champion like." Max got up and stormed out of the room in the same fashion that Hiro did.

Ray shrugged and followed him. "See ya tomorrow, guys."

"Aww man, why am I suddenly so unpopular?" whined Tyson. "I didn't intend on upsetting anyone!"

"This blade…its structure is unlike anything I've ever seen!" suddenly exclaimed the Chief.

"Kenny, are you even listening?"

Kenny looked up. "Tyson, this Beyblade definitely doesn't belong to you. Where exactly did you get it?"

"I'll tell _you_ if you promise not to tell anyone else, okay, Chief? It's called the Fusion Blade. Although it actually belongs to that Pharoas dude, he hasn't had possession of it since he caused the BBA all that trouble. A new friend of mine gave it to me. This Beyblade has some totally unbelievable powers…you should see it in action, Chief! You'd be so thrilled…"

"Tyson, this is _not_ cool!" Kenny screamed. "If everything you're saying about this blade is true, we have to turn it in to the BBA as soon as possible! It's dangerous!"

"But Kenny, if it's really so dangerous, wouldn't it be better off in _our_ hands and not the BBA's?" Tyson asked hopefully.

"Tomorrow morning, we're gonna wake up early and take this to the Tower" finished the Chief.

"…Fine…"

It felt like morning crept up faster than expected; likely because Kenny was banging on Tyson's door at five o'clock. The sun was just starting to rise, its rays painted the surface of the water a sparkly red colour. Winds blew lightly and tiny waves lapped up against the sand.

It wasn't the quickest way to the Tower, but Tyson insisted that they walked by the waterfront instead of taking the streets. The truth was, he wanted to bide his time. Tyson wasn't looking forward to explaining the whole Fusion Blade story over again to Mr. Dickinson and his associates, and then have to re-tell all that he'd found on the island.

"Tyson, I've been meaning to ask you something…" Kenny asked suddenly. "Last night you came home with that Beyblade, but also some files. Why'd you bring those back with you?"

"Because I think you should have a look at them. Thermolysis is the name of that Bit Beast whom destroyed the BBA Tower I, right? Since almost nobody even knows about it, I thought it was strange that there was a folder full of stuff about the thing. Maybe it could prove to be useful, I dunno. The files looked pretty important."

"You don't think…they're really _that_ important?" Kenny asked in a nervous tone. "The last thing I'd want is for people to come after me…"

"Chief, you worry way too much" laughed Tyson. "I don't know a single person who gets more upset over stuff than you."

"Thanks a lot." Kenny muttered sarcastically.

"Except maybe Hilary" Tyson continued. "But with her, it's a different kind of upset. She gets upset over things like me copying off her homework, or having desert three times a day. But with you, on the other hand, you get upset over things like power blackouts or scary movies."

"Drop the subject please, Tyson."

They arrived at the foot of the Tower, and were surprised to find Sarge having an argument with two security guards.

"I thought that we were the only ones crazy enough to wake up this early!" Tyson remarked. "I'm kinda impressed."

Sarge charged for the entrance, but the two security men pushed him back.

"I've already explained to you, sir, our superior has requested that nobody enters the Tower until the tournament resumes" one of them explained.

"But this is really, really important!" Sarge cried. "You've gotta make an exception, please! I need to talk to Mr. Dickinson. Someone's life may be at stake here!"

"Hey, do you have any idea how many fans have used that excuse to sneak their way in here?" the guard continued. "We just don't believe that plea anymore. If there really _was_ an emergency, you would've already been to the police."

"_Come on_!" Sarge moaned. "The cops are busy with the disappearances. It's their top priority right now; they don't care about civilians while they're fulfilling the BBA's duties."

"What's up?" asked Tyson with curiosity.

"No time to explain!" Sarge yelled, backing away from the entrance doors. Suddenly, he charged again. The second guard leaped onto him and pinned him to the ground. The coach struggled to get free.

"My job is such a pain…" The guard said. His partner nodded.

"This situation doesn't look good at all" Tyson said.

"I'm assuming that they won't listen to our request either…how are we going to tell Mr. Dickinson about the island and turn in the Fusion Blade if we can't get an appointment with him?" Kenny asked franticly.

"You'll tell no one of either!"

The boys turned around. There was someone standing right behind them, wearing a tattered robe with the hood up. Kenny jumped back and hid behind Tyson.

"Settle down, Chief!" Tyson barked angrily.

"Can't you see that I've just had the living daylights scared out of me!" Kenny cried. "You…why'd you have to sneak up on us like that?"

"Because Tyson can't tell anybody what he saw on the island or reveal anything about the Fusion Beyblade" the person answered.

"Who are you and how'd you know that I went to the island?" demanded Tyson. "And the Fusion Blade…you're not supposed to know about that; no one is!"

The mysterious person pulled their hood down and threw off the cloak.

"I don't recall us meeting yet, but you've probably heard of me from your little friend. My name's Garrett, from the Beyblading team Velocity of Light…does that ring a bell to you?"

"Yeah, you're Raine's partner!" Tyson exclaimed. "And furthermore, you work for Pharoas to kidnap people! You make me sick, Garrett…I can't wait until Mr. Dickinson hears all about this, _then_ you'll be in serious trouble!"

"Tyson never told me about any of this. Just how much is he hiding from everyone?" the Chief muttered.

"Oh no you don't, Tyson!" Garrett laughed. "I'm not gonna let you."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that you won't let me pass?" Tyson took out his Dragoon Beyblade. "If it's a fight you want, I'm ready!"

"That's not what I want…fighting's a last resort. How about you give me the Fusion Blade _now_ so we won't have to resort to violence later?"

"No way, pal."

"Tyson's not just going to hand it over, especially not to a creep like you!" Kenny backed him up.

"Creep? Well that's just about the nicest compliment I've had all week" Garrett said, surprisingly with very little sarcasm. "But I think you should reconsider; you wouldn't want bad things to happen to your friends, would you, Tyson?"

"…What do you mean?"

"I followed you last night. I planned on blowing your cover at the island, getting both you and Raine in trouble. But you made my job easier by abandoning your friend!"

Tyson frowned. "What did you do with Hilary! Tell me now!"

"Nothing's happened to her yet, but I can't promise that her safety will persist if you don't cooperate. Here's the deal; you give me the Fusion Blade and your friend will make it out of this ordeal safe and sound. It's as simple as that. But if you _ever _dare to tell anyone else about the island or the blade, I'll tell Pharoas about Raine's secret alliance with you, and you'll both live to regret it."

"…Give him the Beyblade, Tyson; it's the only way out…" Kenny blurted out. "We can't let any harm come to our friend, no matter the cost!"

"Don't worry, Chief, I've got a better idea" Tyson said boldly. "How about we make a different deal, Garrett. We have a Beybattle, 1-on-1. Winner takes all."

Garrett smirked. "So what you're saying is that we battle and if I win, you hand over the Fusion Blade, never tell a soul about it _and_ I don't have to release Hilary _or_ Cameron?" He paused and thought for a moment. "I'm interested…"

"Tyson are you insane!" Kenny cried. "You can't risk that much in one Beybattle! Imagine if you were to lose…imagine the consequences!"

"Wait a second…did you just say that you have Cameron as well!" Tyson and Kenny both exclaimed.

"…Never mind that; he's not included in the deal" Garrett added quickly.

"But if I win, we'll keep the Fusion Blade and have the right to inform Mr. Dickinson" Tyson explained. "And Hilary. I don't know why you weirdos keeping her, but the reasons can't be good."

"Then it's settled" Garrett announced. "How about we meet tomorrow night at your usual spot? I wouldn't be surprised to see my good old partner there as well. Don't bring anyone with you, or the whole deal's off."

Garrett picked up his cloak and tucked it under his arm. He turned around and started to casually walk away. Tyson and Kenny glared at him. The two security guards and Sarge still stood a short distance behind them, paying little attention and still fighting.

"I still can't believe that you're going to do this!" Kenny cried, continuing his opposition against the Beybattle.

"Don't worry, I'll win!" Tyson said reassuringly.

"Well I'd better make sure you win!" Kenny yelled in determination.

"…What do you mean?" He didn't expect that kind of response from him.

"Starting immediately, we're gonna spend the entire day training, training, training!" The Chief ordered in a fearsome tone. "And tomorrow, we're gonna train some more! You're gonna keep practicing until _I'm_ reassured that you can win!"

"But Chief…"

"No buts, Tyson! This was your idea. We have absolutely no data on this Garrett person and I can't do any research until I get Dizzy back; so you'll have to prepare for the worst. So let's get this training session started!"

"Aww, can we at least eat some breakfast first?" Whined Tyson.

"Well, it _is_ the most important meal of the day…I guess a complete breakfast comes first" Kenny said back in his normal manner of speech.

"Alright!" Tyson cheered. "Maybe I'll enjoy some of this extreme training after all"

"Then, you'll run five laps around the Tower!"

"No way!"

While Tyson began Kenny's 'extreme training session', everyone else was just beginning to wake up. Waking up to another dark day, unaware and uninformed of what was going on. Many Beybladers were beginning to doubt that it was even worth their time being here.

Most people would be thrilled to be spending time on the paradise of Hawaii; but some were starting to think that it was a lost cause.

The Bladers came to compete. They came for a shot at victory and to prove themselves worthy to be named the Beyblade World Champion. But everything had suddenly come to a halt. Mr. Dickinson had put the entire tournament on hiatus because 'certain affairs had to be dealt with'. These 'affairs' were a mystery to nearly everyone. People were starving for answers.

"I'm sick of it."

Tala took a drink from his glass and then slammed it hard back on the table. The other Blitzkrieg Boys stared at him confusedly.

"…Sick of what?" Wyatt asked cautiously.

"Sick of it all" Tala answered bluntly. "Having to get up in the morning, train for a while and then do nothing for the rest of the day…why won't Mr. Dickinson just resume this tournament! I ought to storm into that Tower _right now_ and give the old man _my_ opinion! That'd set him straight…"

"Keep your voice down, people are staring at us…" Wyatt whispered.

"Who do you think you are, telling me to shut up?"

"Cool it, Tala" Brian ordered.

Tala banged his fists angrily on the breakfast table. Everyone else in the lobby restaurant turned to look at them.

"Would everyone please mind your own freaking business!" The redhead Russian boy yelled loudly. Wyatt hid his face in embarrassment. Spencer rolled his eyes, and Brian couldn't help laughing a bit.

The other people in the restaurant turned away, and the whole place was in a dull silence; until someone else suddenly stormed into the lobby.

"…Kai?" Tala asked.

It was Kai. When Tala addressed him, he didn't even seem to notice, just continued to limp across the room towards the elevator.

"Hey Kai, why are you wearing that weird jacket?" Tala asked in a mocking tone.

"…And why are you limping?" added Wyatt.

Kai took no notice of either of them.

As soon as he'd entered the elevators and the doors closed, Kai fell to the floor, breathing heavily.

This couldn't be happening.

Everything that occurred the previous night seemed unreal. The tower ruins, the underground cave, and that demonic creature that spoke to him…none of it could possibly have really happened!

But Kai had to believe it.

"…_Either obey…or stay here and perish in the darkness, alone."_

The creature had made a bargain with him. It would save his life, if he'd do what he was told. Kai didn't like it one bit; he was a leader, not a follower, and wasn't ready to do some creep's bidding.

But the alternative was to meet his end. So he agreed to obey.

"_I knew you'd say that…nobody's stupid enough to let their own stubbornness kill them. Here's what you'll do…acquire the Fusion Blade. Bring it back here. I'll explain how the grand finale will go when you bring that Beyblade to me…and if you turn your back on me…I'll be sure that you all suffer, Kai."_

The words played over and over in his head, like a broken record. Why would some sealed spirit need the Fusion Blade? There was no way that it could use the thing. It didn't make any sense.

Kai wasn't sure whether he'd really do it or not.

As he trudged down the hall, Kai noticed one of the room doors was open. This wasn't normal, because most of the Beybladers respected their own privacy enough to remember something like closing the door behind them. He passed it and peeked inside. Sure enough, it was Tyson's room.

"Idiot…is he _asking_ for people to just walk in and steal his stuff!"

He looked around the room more carefully, for anything valuable. Maybe he'd teach Tyson a lesson about leaving important things lying around.

It didn't appear that there was anything important there, until Kai caught a glimpse of the Thermolysis files.

A beige folder, crammed full of papers, with 'Thermolysis' and 'confidential' written on the front in bold red letters.

"What is this?"

Kai cautiously picked up the folder. A small, square picture fell out. He bent down to pick it up. When he saw what it was, he dropped the folder in shock and all the other pages fell out.

It was a small black and white picture, torn at one corner. Although it was old, Kai could tell right away exactly what was pictured.

"That dragon…it can't be…the same thing that I encountered last night!" Kai exclaimed, horrified. But it was true. The dragon in the old picture was nearly identical to the carving on the ceiling of the sealed chamber.

"Thermolysis, the bit beast that destroyed the first BBA Tower…" Kai was in absolute disbelief. "That wicked creature…_I_ agreed to help it out!

He stared up at the ceiling, thinking to himself, _'Great…what have I gotten myself into this time?…'_

* * *

There you have it. I know, I know…that chapter was a bit short, I really hope that you enjoyed it. I'll try and finish the next one faster and make it longer. Of course, March Break ends tomorrow, so I may be flooded with homework once again…but lets all hope fer the best.

Anyways the next one will be about Tyson and Garrett's battle, and some other stuff.

And I swear I will ALWAYS update! It's silly when authors start fics and then just abandon them! I finishing what I started before I do anything else.

Please, please review. I like reviews. No flames, though.


	19. Ancient Blade, stolen

Hiya! Thanks a whole lot to everyone who reviewed.

I'll make this quick; here's the **Disclaimer:**I do not own Beyblade, or anyone from the show/manga. I own the story plot and the Ocs, and that's pretty much it. If I owned Beyblade the show would go on forever and ever and ever. But I don't so, too bad. Ohwell.

Please enjoy chapter 19...sorry for not writing it faster. Oh yeah, and QuickEdit kinda messed it up the first time I posted it...I've fixed it best I can. Ignore any grammar mistakes that I missed.

* * *

"Twenty-three, twenty…four…please let me take a break, Chief!" Tyson whined while desperately trying to do another push-up.

"One more" reassured Kenny.

"…That's what you said when I did nine!" Tyson complained. He rolled onto his back lazily.

Kenny had caught sight of the small, rustic gym while they were walking downtown; and he insisted that Tyson went in to train.

"I promise that you only have to do one more" Kenny repeated.

So far today, Tyson had jogged, lifted weights, jogged some more and practiced his Beyblading techniques; and it only noon.

"I really don't see why this is all necessary" Tyson said angrily, having just forced himself to do the last push-up. "It's not like I haven't Beybladed in ages. I'm pretty confident that I can win against Garrett."

Kenny sighed. "Confidence isn't enough."

"Huh?"

"I'm not saying that you're weak or anything like that, Tyson. It's just…so important that you don't lose your upcoming match. This is different than most of your other Beybattles; there's so much more on the line here! If the Fusion Blade's really as powerful as you say, then we can't let that creepy Garrett have it. And let's not forget Hilary; she's in danger, too!"

The two boys left the gym and headed towards the hotel. By now, Ray, Max and the others would probably be wondering where they are.

"You're right, Kenny", Tyson began as they walked down the streets. "There _is_ more on the line here. But this whole ordeal is really confusing…"

"No kidding!" the Chief added. "I was totally lost for the most part of your conversation with Garrett! I know that Velocity of Light is the team that won the amateur round, and Pharoas is their coach…who's Raine?"

"Raine's part of their team" Tyson explained. "She's a Beyblader. Her and Garrett are _both_ responsible for kidnapping all those people at the island. But she doesn't like it. Actually, Raine _hates_ working for Pharoas. We met when I was training down by the abandoned dock…you know, where you guys found me last night? Anyways, she's the one who planned my whole secret trip to the island, and gave me the Fusion Blade…"

"But if she's part of Pharoas' team, why is she doing this?" Kenny asked confusedly.

"I…" Tyson paused for a second. "I'm not too sure. She betrayed her team to help everyone who's suffering…but it was kinda her fault in the first place. Raine shouldn't have joined that team in the first place if she was so sensitive."

"That's one of the things I'm confused about", Kenny continued, "Also, I want to know more about this Fusion Blade you've got! First it belonged to Quinlan and Sarge, then Raine had it, now _you've_ got it, and Garrett wants it. It must be so much valuable than meets the eye!"

Tyson reached into his back pocket and took the blade out. "Yeah, it sure has some freaky powers…especially since this is the same blade that Pharoas used to summon that Thermolysis thing at the first Beyblade world championships. It's brutal."

Suddenly the Chief stopped dead.

"Kenny? What's the matter? …Why'd you just stop like that?"

"Tyson…I just thought of something horrible."

"What? Come on, quit acting weird…"

"A whole bunch of stuff that I've been pondering about for a while now, I've just pieced it all together! Think about it…this tournament is in the same place that the first one was held, where disaster struck. The ruins of the old BBA Tower aren't far from here; the last place anyone ever saw the bit beast Thermolysis. Pharoas suddenly re-emerges into the Beyblading scene as a coach, here and now of all times and places. And his Beyblader, Garrett, is after the Fusion Blade! The Tower…Thermolysis…Pharoas…the Fusion Blade…can't you see, Tyson?"

"Uh…umm…no, not really…what's your point?"

"History is going to repeat itself! Pharoas wants the Fusion Blade back because he plans to summon Thermolysis again! And he's gonna take down the Tower just as he did before! For revenge!"

Tyson laughed. "You're being paranoid. Besides, we all know that Thermolysis disappeared after it burned down the Tower. Nobody's seen it since."

"Exactly, it _disappeared_! Things can't just vanish into thin air, Tyson! That freaky bit beast could still be lurking around here somewhere!"

"Chief…you're just psyching yourself out. Come on, let's grab some lunch; eating always helps when _I'm_ feeling nervous about something."

Tyson resumed walking down the sidewalk, while poor Kenny trailed a short distance behind him, terrified by his own assumptions.

"There's a really great all-you-can-eat restaurant a couple of blocks away", Tyson explained dreamily. "We've gotta go there. The food…it's amazing…oh, and the desert…! They've got this chocolate cake, covered in chocolate sauce and chocolate chips!"

Kenny was ignoring Tyson, busy thinking to himself. _"Maybe Tyson's right…maybe I am being a bit paranoid. I should do more research before I jump to conclusions like that…nonetheless…"_

"And the ice cream! Gosh, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it…gourmet ice cream…"

"_While he's training I should probably read those 'Thermolysis files' that he brought back from the island."_

"Also, if you pay and extra five dollars, the chef will make you a pizza with _anything_ you want on it! _Anything_! Seriously it's…hey Kenny, are you even listening?" Tyson suddenly realized that he'd been talking to nobody for the past minute.

The restaurant was crammed full of people when they arrived. There was one sole table left at the back of the dining room, which the boys were lucky enough to get. Tyson began his meal with a plate of different Asian foods. Kenny ordered the same thing, but in much smaller portions.

"The training we've been doing so far today is great, but I think you need to practice fighting another Beyblader" Kenny explained while Tyson wolfed down his first course. "While you were stuffing your face at breakfast, I made a phone call to the BBA".

"I didn't think they wanted to talk to anyone…remember how Sarge failed to get a meeting this morning?"

"Well, I called Mr. Dickinson's personal number and said that it's an emergency."

"What did you say?" Tyson paused to ask.

"…You'll see."

* * *

The rest of the gang was quite surprised when they woke up to find that Tyson and Kenny had already left to go train; especially Hiro, who'd already prepared a bucket of cold water the night before to wake up his brother.

It was one of the rare occasions when the Bladebreakers could actually sit through an entire meal without having guard their own food from Tyson. They had the most peaceful breakfast since the time they'd arrived here more than a month ago.

"What are you guys planning on doing today?" asked Max, in his usual cheerful tone.

"I intended on inquiring my little brother about that island place…but I guess It'll have to wait" Hiro answered.

"Well I really had my heart set on going swimming today, but the weather doesn't look too promising, so I'll probably hang around here for most of the day" Max explained. "What about you, Ray?"

"Huh?"

"What did you plan on doing today?"

"Me? I was planning on going back to the hospital, hoping that either of the girls' conditions have improved."

"The last time, they wouldn't let you visit…I really hope that Mariah and Salima will be okay" Max said sadly.

"So do I, Max" replied Ray. "That accident shouldn't have happened. It's stupid, really; what were they thinking?"

"They had a score to settle and didn't want to be bothered, so they went to a remote place to battle. Wouldn't you do the same?"

Ray didn't like to admit it, but Max was probably right. Grudges sometimes drive people to do strange things…

* * *

"You again, huh?"

"Yes…for the last time, my name's Ray!" This was the third time he'd visited the hospital, and he'd met the same receptionist each time.

"Sorry, Ray." The receptionist smiled at him. "And you're here to ask the same question as before, right?"

"Right. Could you check, please?"

"No need! I had a feeling you'd be back, so I asked the doctor to tell me if either of them woke up. Mariah's awake; Salima's still unconscious."

"That's great…I mean, not in Salima's case, but at least one of them's okay" Ray said with relief. "So…am I allowed to visit?"

The receptionist flipped through a book on her desk. "Room 144 on the third floor, pal. And remember, this _is_ a hospital…please try behave better than her last visitor did…"

"That'd be Kevin she's referring to", Ray laughed as he proceeded to the elevator. He imagined Kevin pushing wheelchairs up and down the hallways, and fiddling around with the doctors' tools.

"…Room 144."

Ray sincerely hoped that she wouldn't be as angry with him as Kevin, Gary and Lee were. They didn't even want to talk with him…Mariah probably wouldn't be much different; but checking to see if she's alright anyways was the right thing to do. Whether they were on the same team or not, it didn't matter. He was still her friend.

When he entered, Mariah was lying in bed, writing in a pink book. There was bandage on her forehead and another below her left eye. It didn't _appear_ that she was in much pain, but he knew that there was more to it.

"Mariah! I'm glad to see you're okay…" Ray said excitedly. Mariah quickly slammed the book shut and placed it on the table beside her bed.

"Ray?" At first she seemed happy to see him, but her expression changed fast. "So it's _you_…what do you want?"

His heart sank. It seemed that she _was_ angry with him, too…

"I guess Lee told you what happened before I left the village" Ray sighed.

"Well, I hoped that it wasn't true" Mariah snapped back, frowning. "It's bad enough that you ditched us _again_…and for the most selfish reasons!"

"…I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? If you're sorry, then why'd you do it in the first place, Ray? How can you say things like that and expect total forgiveness afterwards? I thought that I could trust you; we all did; but we were wrong…" she started to sob.

"I'm sorry. I _don't_ expect to be forgiven. I…don't deserve it." He took another deep sigh. "It's not that simple. The Bladebreakers re-formed for reasons far more important than glory. If only things were different, I'd re-join with White Tiger X in a heartbeat. Honestly. But with the way things are going right now, the Bladebreakers need me more."

"What do you mean exactly?" Mariah asked curiously.

"That's the problem; I can't tell you because it's confidential" he answered.

"Liar."

"It's the truth, Mariah!"

"Then prove it!"

"I already told you that _I can't_! The information's confidential...that's not why I came here anyhow. I came for one reason only; to tell you about Lee. " That was a lie. The real reason was because he cared about the well-being of his friend.

"What about him?" Mariah asked excitedly. "Him and all those other people, have they found them yet?"

"…Yeah." he answered.

"Why do you sound so glum? Aren't you glad that they're alright?"

"Mariah…they're not alright. Everyone who 'disappeared' were actually kidnapped. Everyone except for that Cameron kid…he's still missing."

"They were kidnapped!"

"And apparently they're all being held at an island not too far from here! Tyson just learnt all this last night, he devised some sort of a plan and went there…I'm not sure of all the details. I was gonna question him further, but when I woke up this morning, he was already gone."

"Ray, we have to do something!" she said worriedly. "You guys have to go back to that island place and rescue everyone!"

"That was my initial reaction, too. It's more complex than you think. The people running this island are affiliated with Pharoas."

"You mean the coach of that new Beyblading team? …Why would he be involved with something like this?"

"Because…" Then Ray thought twice. Everything about the Tower, Pharoas and Thermolysis was to be kept a secret. Mr. Dickinson made him promise not to tell anyone about those events in the past. It was confidential.

But this was personal. Mariah's brother was directly involved in all this, and could be in danger. She deserved the right to know.

"Because Pharoas did horrible things back when he was still a kid" Ray began. "He was a Beyblader. Like us, only different; because he played dirty. Pharoas had unearthly powers. He used them in battle against another Beyblader named Jed, and killed him."

"…Killed him?" Mariah was in disbelief. "Pharoas _killed_ somebody? That's…awful!"

"Yeah…so the BBA decided to ban him from ever competing again, and that mad him angry. So angry that he summoned a strange bit beast called Thermolysis and commanded it to destroy the original BBA Tower. So many innocent people died…everyone wanted to just forget what happened. They burned documents that re-told the event and never spoke of it. Eventually, I guess that everyone just forgot about it."

Suddenly, Ray came to the realization that he just revealed all the confidential information.

"But you can't tell anyone about that, okay?" he added quickly.

Mariah cocked her head confusedly, like a dog would. "…Why can't I tell anyone?"

"Because………_that_ was the confidential information that I was talking about."

There was a short silence afterwards, which Mariah broke.

"Mr. Dickinson's using you guys."

"…What exactly do you mean?"

"It sounds to me like he wanted the Bladebreakers to re-form just so you guys could fight this new enemy."

"That's right" said Ray, not understanding her concern.

"But it's so wrong! Doesn't Mr. Dickinson care about what might happen to you guys? From the sounds of it, this Pharoas guy means business! What if something bad happens, like before?"

"I don't think that'd happen, Mariah."

"What if he totally destroys your blades? What if he decides to hurt one of you guys?"

"Seriously, I don't…"

"What if one of you gets _killed?_ Ray, what if you _die?_"

That was a thought that'd never crossed Ray's mind. _What if you die?_ Wasn't that what happened last time; someone lost their life in a Beybattle?

Obviously, Pharoas had no concern whatsoever about breaking any one of the BBA's rules. Revenge was the only thing on his mind. Revenge. It was the BBA who destroyed his dreams, so the destroyed the BBA in return. There had to be a reason for him entering a team in this tournament, taking place not far from were he waged terror the last time. It couldn't be a coincidence.

The thought lingered in Ray's mind…was there anything he could do about this? Right now, all he could do was hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

* * *

Tyson's gruelling afternoon training consisted of weight lifting and his accuracy skills in Beyblading. He'd pulled that ripcord a hundred, two hundred, maybe more times. By the time the sun was beginning to set, both his hands were sore and cut, and Tyson was completely exhausted. Never before had he trained that much in such a short period of time.

But instead of heading straight to bed like he'd planned, Kenny insisted that they wait in the hotel lobby. He didn't say why. Apparently, it was a secret. "You'll see" he said, grinning widely. The same thing he said before. Tyson was beginning to get suspicious.

A long, black limosine parked in front of the hotel. The boys could see it through the automatic glass doors.

"Cool…a celebrity?" Tyson murmured. His eyes were glued to the fancy vehicle.

"It's about time!" Kenny said with relief. He ran outside.

"You've been expecting someone?" asked Tyson, following Kenny, waiting anxiously to see who would emerge from the limo.

A strangely familiar, short, red-headed boy.

Tyson gasped. "Is that…?"

"..Daichi!" Kenny cheered. "I'm so glad that you could come here on such short notice!"

"Oh, it was no problem at all!" he answered excitedly. Sure enough, it _was_ Daichi, the spunky kid who help Tyson, Max, Ray and Kai in the previous tournament. It didn't appear that he'd changed much since except for the fact that he was wearing different clothing; instead of the old tattered blue shirt and pants, he was wearing a black jacket and new blue jeans.

"Daichi?" Tyson asked confusedly. "_Daichi?_ What's he doing here?"

"Tyson!" Daichi jumped up on Tyson and gave him a friendly hug. "Long time, no see, eh?"

"Training on your own is good, but it's even more important to practice against another Beyblader" explained the Chief. "You've gotten pretty familiar with the other Bladebreakers' techniques; you've all be training together since you arrived here. I figured it was time for a change. So I asked Mr. Dickinson to contact Daichi!"

"They sent a helicopter right to my hometown!" Daichi said proudly. "It was an honour to be invited personally by Mr. D! He said that your skills needed some tuning up…sounds to be like you've been lazing off, Tyson!" He grinned.

"What? That's not it at all!" Tyson objected. "And you shouldn't be the one talking, because I could beat you in a Beybattle with my eyes closed!"

"They're fighting already…" Kenny murmured. "At least Tyson will get _lots_ of practice before his match tomorrow…that's the plan!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Tyson!" Daichi laughed. "I train from the moment I wake up in the morning, until I can't go any longer! There isn't a single person back home who can beat me anymore. I'm litterally unstoppable!"

"We'll just see about that! Don't forget that I _am_ the Beyblade champion of the _whole world_!"

"Blah, blah blah….there you go again, bragging about the world champion thing…that's getting real old, you know!"

"Why you…I'm gonna get you, Daichi!" Tyson started after Daichi, who was laughing his head off. Tyson tried to grab him but he dodged, and jumped on top of the limousine.

In the midst of all this, Sarge was walking down the sidewalk towards them, his head hung low.

"Hey there, Sarge" Kenny greeted. "How'd it go? Did you finally get to see Mr. Dickinson like you wanted?"

Sarge answered without looking up. "He refuses. He refuses to see me…he refuses to see his own son!" He kicked the wall angrily, which caught Tyson and Daichi's attention. "He doesn't listen to anyone! He doesn't even listen to me and he never has; probably never will! Makes me sick…"

"Uhh…hey there, Sarge" Tyson said cautiously. "Daichi, this is Sarge Dickinson…he coaches a team called The Barbarians."

Daichi hopped off the limousine and it pulled away. "Wow, it must be cool being the son to a famous person!"

"Heh! Yeah, real great it's been for me" he laughed sarcastically.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it" he sighed. "I'm the one who should be sorry for getting angry a second ago. It was rude. Accept my forgiveness."

"No problem" Kenny, Tyson and Daichi answered in unison.

Tyson yawned. "Well, I'm ready for a good night's sleep. Please, Kenny; _don't_ wake me up as earlier as you did today…". He headed into the hotel.

"He didn't say anything about _me_ waking him up early…" Daichi whispered to the Chief.

* * *

Daichi was yelling and stomping up and down the hall at 6:30 in the morning. "Time to get up, lazy! We've got a lot of work to do!"

Kenny stormed out of his room. "Daichi, there are other people sleeping on this floor besides me and Tyson! Keep it down!"

But he was too late; every single Beyblader whose room was on that floor was rudely awakened by Daichi's noise. The first to complain was Hunter. Patrick followed.

"Look, kid; I don't know who you are, but I did not order a wake-up call, and I'm gonna take some revenge!" Hunter boomed.

"Yeah, I didn't ask for one either!" Patrick said.

"Revenge, eh?" Daichi said slyly. "So you wanna fight? I'll take on both of you at once!"

"Daichi you didn't come here to pick fights with other Beybladers!" Kenny said sternly.

"So Daichi's your name?" said Hunter. "I'll remember it, don't worry about that!"

Patrick nodded in agreement and glared.

Daichi was relieved when the two boys left. Kenny continued to scold him.

"What was all that noise?" Suddenly, Ray emerged from his room.

"What's going on…" Max stumbled tiredly into the hall.

"Hey, guys!" Daichi greeted. "Remember me?"

"…Daichi! It's great to see you…but what re you doing here?"

"To help Tyson train" he answered. "But don't worry; you'll all have a turn to take me on!"

* * *

The beach was nearly deserted today, because grey storm clouds loomed above, and nobody wanted to get wet. The only people there were Tyson, Kenny and Daichi. Kenny lead them to a particular spot in front of a sand dune.

"I want you guys to start off here" the Chief explained.

"But Kenny, it's too sandy here" Tyson complained. "We can't launch our blades here."

"You can; but only if you do a powerful launch and move very rapidly throughout the entire match. That way, you'll have to think and act fast."

"I'm fine with that" Daichi agreed.

"You guys ready? Three, two one…"

"Let it rip!" Tyson and Daichi yelled.

Tyson launched his blade forcefully, like he always did, but something went wrong. The blade only spun slowly in the sand for a few seconds and then stopped.

"What happened?" he asked confusedly.

"Hmm…try launching Dragoon at a different angle this time" suggested the Chief.

Tyson picked up his precious blade and dusted it off. He held the launcher slightly sideways. It was uncomfortable, but we wasn't ready to give up after one try. Daichi overheard Kenny's advice and did the same.

"Daichi automatically wins the first round because Tyson faltered" the Chief announced. "Now for round two! Three, two one, let it rip!"

This time, their blades landed roughly on the ground, kicking up sand, but didn't stop spinning. And soon the two Beyblades collided with each other powerfully. Both the offences were strong, but Daichi's was obviously stronger; Dragoon was knocked back several feet.

"I didn't expect that…" Tyson muttered.

The rotation speed of his Beyblade had slowed down drastically and Strata Dragoon was approaching fast for another attack. Tyson's blade flew and hit the ground face-down.

"I win already?" Daichi laughed. "That was _so_ easy! Come on Tyson, you weren't really serious about that, were you?"

Tyson groaned. "Kenny, why are you making us do this? Can't you see that it's impossible to battle on a surface like this?"

"Just try again…this'll help Dragoon's speed."

Reluctantly, Tyson picked up his Beyblade and launched it a third time.

After his fifth attempt, he was finally beginning to get the hang of this. A group of kids had swarmed around him and Daichi, anxiously watching them battle; amongst them were Ray and Max. A particularly loud group of primary-school aged kids had been screaming throughout the entire match.

"Come on, Tyson!" A girl cheered.

"Yeah Tyson's the best!" a younger boy cried.

"Are you crazy?" an older kid said, pushing him from behind. "Daichi's way better than Tyson; it's so obvious…"

The younger boy pushed him back. "You're wrong!"

The elder boy retaliated. "No, you're the one who's wrong…!"

"Whoa…settle down, guys!" It was Ray this time. He took the younger boy's hand led him to the other side of the audience, far from the older boy.

"I had no idea that the spectators take our Beybattles so seriously!" Max gasped after watching the boys' argument.

"It really means a lot to them" said Ray in agreement.

"Even they seemed determined…not as much as _those two_, though" Max said, re-directing his attention to Tyson and Daichi.

Their battle was flowing normally despite the terrain. Dragoon and Strata Dragoon attacked each other at full force, just like old times. Except this time, it was serious; Tyson's training was crucial right now.

With one final blow, Daichi's blade was finally driven into the sand. Tyson had one this round.

"That ties the score. You want to make our next match the deciding one?" Tyson said competitively. The crowed cheered loudly in response.

"You bet; prepare to lose!" Daichi replied fiercely.

Hours later, Tyson's training had finallycome to an end.

* * *

The day was over. The time drew nearer. Only 45 minutes stood between now and Tyson's battle with Garrett.

He was prepared. Tyson had his Beyblade ready to launch at any time, and he carried it in his hand instead of in his back pocket; he needed to be ready for anything, even a sudden assault on his way there. Garrett's deceptive; there's was a chance that he could be luring him into a trap. Although they'd only met once before, Tyson had a pretty good idea about the kind of person the silver-haired kid was: a cruel, sneaky, and heartless Beyblader who was possibly insane.

That was Tyson's impression of Garrett. Mean and nasty. But he had no idea of how the guy actually felt on the inside. He didn't care. This person was responsible for all the kidnappings, which now included Hilary. At least his partner Raine had some sympathy for them. And now, Garrett was blackmailing him.

They'd only met once, and Tyson already felt a strong hatred for Garrett.

Tyson started down the hallway outside his hotel room, where he met up with Daichi and Hiro.

"I'm going out for a while", Tyson announced casually.

Hiro sighed. "_Again?_ I thought you said that you were tired, after all the training you've done lately. Figured that you'd be in bed by now, actually."

"Yeah, we'll I'm not _too _tired. Besides, it's good to get some fresh air whenever I have the chance!"

"…Is that the best excuse you can make up?" Hiro said in disbelief.

Tyson ignored him and continued on his way. "Never mind. Anyways, I'll be back in a little while…oh, and don't even think about following me, Hiro! This is none of your business."

Hiro waited until Tyson was out of sight before he spoke again.

"Follow him, Daichi."

"Huh? But didn't Tyson just say…"

"Never mind what he said, I want you to follow him! Didn't I just explain to you what happened the last time he went for a 'walk'? This is getting really strange. You don't mind, do you?"

Daichi jumped in excitement. "Of course I don't mind! It'll be fun spying on Tyson!"

"Good. Don't let him see you; and be careful, alright? I seriously doubt that Tyson plans on going for a walk; there must be something else going on."

Daichi nodded and sprinted down the hall.

The storm clouds from earlier were still hanging in the sky. Tyson only hoped that it wouldn't start raining; the water would make the match ever more difficult.

He was headed to his and Raine's usual meeting spot, the abandoned dock, on the outskirts of the city. Just two nights ago he'd been there, when he went to the Island. This was one of the rare times when he wasn't looking forward to going there.

With Dragoon in one hand, and the Fusion Blade in the other, he walked boldly through a series of dark alleyways that lead to the older and mostly abandoned side of the city. He wasn't nervous at all. Tyson was surprisingly calm, considering the high stakes of this match. If he lost, not only would he'd be obliged to hand over the Fusion Blade, but he'd also be sworn to secrecy about it; plus Garrett would keep Hilary imprisoned.

Finally, he'd arrived. Garrett was standing on the roof of the old shop, glaring down at him. And to his immense surprise, Raine was there, too. She was sitting at the edge of the dock, with her head bowed down. She didn't even acknowledge Tyson when he arrived. Something wasn't right…

"Garrett" Tyson stated. Garrett jumped onto the dock, causing the whole thing to shake.

"I knew you'd come" Garrett said with a wicked grin on his face. "You're so stubborn. I just _knew_ you'd come."

"Well duh" Tyson said under his breath.

"Could I ask you something?" Garrett asked, suddenly with a much sterner look. "Why do you care so much about the Fusion Blade anyways? You could've just given it to me, and this violence would be necessary."

Tyson didn't like the sound of the word 'violence' in reference to their Beybattle. "It's not that I care so much about that Beyblade. I'm worried about the fact that _you_ care about it. Raine's told me all about you…you're a bad person. If someone like you got their hands on it…I wouldn't want to imagine what could happen."

He shook his head. "_I_ don't care about it either, Tyson. Pharoas does. My coach does. My master."

"So then why does your _master_ want it so badly?"

Garrett grimaced again. "You think I'd tell you something that important?" He turned to face his partner. "I won't tell you; actually, I figured my dear partner would've already told you everything. She's spilled practically everything else we were supposed to keep secret…"

Raine still said nothing, did nothing, and didn't even seem to react.

"…What's wrong with her!" Tyson demanded.

"She's here as a witness. Raine's here to make sure nobody cheats, or goes back on their part of the deal."

"I asked you what's wrong with her!" he repeated. "What happened to her? She's just been sitting there silently this whole time, like she doesn't have a clue what's going on!"

"Raine's just keeping _her_ side of the deal."

Tyson was getting angry; Garrett wasn't answering his questions. Not even when they mentioned her name did Raine show any signs of acknowledgement…maybe she was just ignoring them completely; if so, she was doing a good job of it.

"Give the Fusion Blade to Raine" Garrett said softly. "She's gonna take care of it for now."

Tyson hesitated.

"Hurry up."

Finally, he tossed the blade over in the taciturn girl's direction. (A/N: Taciturn means silent, to a very extreme level. There's a new word for y'all). Raine reached out and picked it up, but still didn't lift her head.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, even more so than usual…I don't blame you" Garrett laughed. Then once again, "Okay, Tyson, let's get this over with. Ready?"

"…Let's go."

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

"Let it RIP!" both of them yelled at once.

The Beyblades clashed against the dock and shook it.

Garrett's blade was a transparent white colour. Tyson had never seen one like that before; it looked almost ghostly when it spun. The blade had a bit chip set in it, but Tyson couldn't define which one.

Immediately, Tyson sent Dragoon to the offence, the blade trying vigorously too strike the opponent; but Garrett's blade recoiled each time to avoid being hit.

"Too fast for you?" the boy taunted.

"I'd be paying more attention to the battle if I were you" Tyson replied, trying hard not to smirk.

Each time Dragoon took a swipe at the blade, it would recoil further back, closer and closer to the edge of the dock. Garrett finally noticed when he only had seconds left. His Beyblade managed to balance on the edge of the boards and he was able to recover.

"Damn…I'd better try not to do _that_ again…" Garrett said under his breath.

Tyson was a bit surprised. _"That was a pretty dumb mistake he made back there…I kinda expected more from him. Oh well, I shouldn't be complaining! This'll be easier than I though."_

It was Garrett's turn to attack now. His blade attacked in a totally different way than most, as Tyson would soon find out.

He prepared to be attacked directly; Tyson was ready to use the speedy techniques he'd used earlier to fight Daichi. But instead of a direct offence, the black and white Beyblade swerved off the to side, then directly towards the shop to a head-on collision with the wall.

At first, this appeared to be another stupid mistake. In reality, it was a strategy. The impact with the wall caused the blade to soar backwards.

And as planned, Garrett's Beyblade landed on Dragoon.

"What was that for?" Tyson asked angrily. Then he saw; the base of Garrett's blade was wickedly sharp. It tore into Dragoon like a drill; tiny shards of the Beyblade were sent flying. The bit chip which held Dragoon began to glow. Suddenly, it emerged, looking very confused, without even being commanded.

"You see what I just did, Tyson? Your Bit-beast was forced out of your blade!"

Tyson didn't get it. "I don't understand why you just did that; now, Dragoon's gonna pummel you!"

Once again, Garrett showed off his evil grin. That meant he was up to something. His blade started glowing, and a white figure emerged.

"His Bit-beast", Tyson muttered. But it wasn't what he expected. The sacred spirit of Garrett's blade appeared exactly like Dragoon, only in a white colour.

"Do you understand now?" Garrett laughed wickedly. "My Bit-beast has no precise physical form. So I couldn't summon it until Dragoon appeared; because it can take on the form of its opponent!"

Tyson stared in awe at the other Dragoon. But his attention was directed off the creature fast.

"Holy smokes! That thing's almost exactly like Dragoon! Cool!"

Garrett and Tyson looked around confusedly, until they spotted Daichi. He'd been observing the entire match from atop the building.

"You broke the rules…I said to come alone!" said Garrett angrily.

"But I didn't invite him! Daichi, I specifically told you _not_ to follow me here! Do you listen to a word I say!"

"Shut up and pay attention to your match!" he yelled back.

He had a good point; if Garrett hadn't been distracted as well, Tyson would've been in trouble. He re-focused on the two Dragoons. His own bared its fangs at the other one. Garrett's false Dragoon looked around nervously.

"Attack, now!" both bladers commanded. The two blades hit each other fiercely. Tyson's Dragoon thrashed its copy hard with its head. Garrett's hesitated, then raked its claws into its enemy reluctantly.

"What's wrong with you? Why don't you want to attack?" Garrett yelled in frustration. "This time, do some damage!"

"He's right; that phantom Dragoon doesn't seem too keen on hurting the real one" Daichi remarked.

Dragoon lunged forwards and bit Phantom Dragoon in the neck. It wailed and bit back. The Beyblades drove into each other repeatedly.

Tyson and Garrett both had their eyes glued to the match. Daichi was still watching from above when he noticed someone else, standing on the other edge of the roof and also watching attentively. He gazed down at the battle, waiting for just the right moment for him to make his move…

Then suddenly he leaped from the building and landed exactly next to where Raine was sitting. For the first time this entire match, she looked up to see what was going on and was surprised to see another person next to her.

"What…", but before she could ask anything, the guy pushed her over, grabbed the Fusion Blade and made off with it down the dock.

Daichi watched him, not knowing what to do. "Wasn't that…Kai?"

* * *

And there you have it.

Oh great the Fusion Blade's been nabbed!

Kai: It didn't happen until the veryend of the chapter…why'd you bother to write the rest?

Because the rest is important too, seriously.

And in case you haven't caught on to what Garrett's Bit beast is, I suggest you take a closer look at some of thepast chapters…

Byebye for now, see ya next chapter. Please read and review, NO flames. Thanks a lot.


	20. Ulterior Scheme

Hiya, everyone! Velocity of Light here!

Yes, I'm aware that this chapter tookabout 2months to write (I think, maybe I miscalculated), and yes I know that it is a bit shorter than the last one, and relies mainly on dialogue. I've been busy with another story I was forced to write for school, but it's done now. And rather than making up excuses, 'cause nobody's interested in my personal life anyways, let me just say I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry and I feel bad. I'm just very glad that you're still reading after the huge gap between updates. Thanks a whole lot.

**Okay, here's the mandatory disclaimer…**(annoying but at least it helps to avoid lawsuits)**:  
**I do not own Beyblade. I own OC characters and the plot.

**And the other same old stuff…**R&R please, no flames 'cause its my first fic, e-mail if you have questions or just feel like bothering me, and most importantly enjoy the chappie.

On with the show…

* * *

Tyson and Garrett both had their eyes glued to the match. Daichi was still watching from above when he noticed someone else, standing on the other edge of the roof and also watching attentively. He gazed down at the battle, waiting for just the right moment for him to make his move…

"_I can't believe I'm doing this…"_ he thought to himself in total disbelief. _"I just can't believe I'm doing this…but I haven't really got a choice here…damn it…"_

Then suddenly he leaped from the building and landed exactly next to where Raine was sitting. For the first time this entire match, she looked up to see what was going on and was surprised to see another person next to her.

"What…" but before she could ask anything, the guy pushed her over, grabbed the Fusion Blade and made off with it down the dock.

Daichi watched him, not knowing what to do. "Wasn't that…Kai?"

It was in fact Kai who'd just stolen the Fusion Blade from the hands on an innocent girl. He raced down the dock. His heart was beating miles per minute. This was so wrong. Kai could scarcely believe what he was doing. It was even harder to comprehend why.

Because he was in Thermolysis' dept. The wicked creature wanted him to steal the blade, so he did. But that wasn't the worst of his fears right now. Once acquired, he didn't want to imagine what Thermolysis would want him to do with the Fusion Blade…

Raine suddenly broke from her taciturn trance. What had just occurred happened so fast. She wasn't able to see who stole the Fusion Blade.

She didn't even _try_ to stop him. As fast as he was, Raine strongly believed that she _could've_ stopped him. But she didn't, because she was torn.

Raine didn't know what to do, what to believe anymore. It was only a few days ago when she betrayed Garrett and Pharoas, and aided Tyson. She left her team to help someone she'd only even met several times. Why? Because she trusted him. Tyson was one of the few people Raine had met who didn't blade because they desired more power. Tyson was a Beyblader because he loved blading. Even if the fame, the publicity and high stakes were absent, he would still blade. He was driven by spirit.

But then there was the _other side_. The people whom everyone referred to as bad guys; Garrett, Blaise and Pedro, the remaining members of Velocity of Light. Around them, Raine felt acceptance. They didn't care if she was insecure, antisocial and kind of weird; the other guys respected her as a Beyblader. That kind of acceptance was something that had been missing from her life a long time.

Now, she didn't know who were the "good guys" or "bad guys". Sure, Pharoas wanted to get revenge on the BBA in a way that would surely shock everyone. But to _not_ go along with his plan would be to betray her team and risk losing the acceptance she had.

That is why she didn't cheer on Tyson, nor Garrett, or respond to either of them in the match. Plus it was her side of the deal to keep quiet, and not help give either of them advice.

Meanwhile, Tyson's blue and grey Dragoon continued to fight Garrett's transparent, illusionary one. The sacred spirits exchanged bites and raked their claws at one another. The two Beyblades fought with equal viciousness down on the dock.

Daichi remained on top of the deserted building next door, and was the only one besides Raine who'd caught a glimpse of Kai before he made off with the Fusion Blade.

But he didn't quite understand the situation. Nobody had explained anything to him yet. Not about Pharoas, not about the Fusion Blade, Thermolysis or the Velocity of Light team; and things were only getting weirder by the second.

"Tyson! _Tyson_! Did you just see that!"

Daichi broke his concentration. "Shut up, you're distracting me!" Tyson called back angrily. "Can't you see I'm a bit pre-occupied right now?"

"Can't _you_ see that Kai just snagged whatever from that dark-haired girl!"

Both Tyson and Garrett turned disbelievingly to Raine.

She nodded sadly then looked away. "The Fusion Blade's gone."

"What!" Garrett ran and picked up his Beyblade, then ran over to her and yelled. "How could you just let someone take it! What the hell were you thinking?" This is was too much for Garrett. He didn't need this. Exasperated, Garrett called up to Daichi. "Which way did he go?"

"Down the dock there!"

Without a second thought he dashed off.

"Wait up, I'm coming too!" Tyson decided. "Dragoon!"

The Dragoon blade leaped obediently. Tyson caught it, slipped it into his pocket and sprinted down the dock in the direction which Daichi pointed. All the practice he had running yesterday was paying off. But he still had to work hard keeping up with Garrett.

"Wait up, guys!" Daichi slid down the wall and trailed behind them.

* * *

Raine pushed herself up and watched the three boys bolt off. "I'm going too" she declared firmly.

"What's the hurry?"

She recognized the voice and stopped dead in alarm. Pharoas. Raine turned around slowly and walked back to the beaten-up battlefield with her head hung low. A man stood there in the exact same spot she'd been moments ago. That guy could really creep up out of nowhere. Pharoas was dressed in a dark-purple robe, with the hood up, covering his face in shadow and hiding his identity.

"………Yeah?" Raine asked nervously. Had he figured out her secret allegiance already?

"Think about it, Raine; you know what's going to happen. Garrett, Kai and the overconfident-champion-kid are all after the Fusion Blade…do you really want to be around when the violence begins?"

"…What exactly do you mean, 'violence'…it's just a Beyblade…"

Pharoas grinned wickedly. "You should know that it's not _just a Beyblade_. It's a very special blade, Raine."

She was near panic now, completely sure that he'd figured out about how she helped Tyson and even gave him the blade. And now Kai had it; this wouldn't have happened had she kept it like she was supposed to.

"We are going to take our time, Raine. We'll burst into the scene when the time is right. Let the boys try to sort it out amongst themselves for a little while…_then_ take matters into our own hands."

"…Right, Pharoas. We…we'll do that."

"Good. Now, there's something else that confuses me…oh, right."

Raine was finished. _"This is it…I'm in huge trouble now…he's gonna ask about the Fusion Blade…"_

"…Why exactly are we keeping the loudmouthed brunette girl hostage? Garrett franticly explained that she was not to be sent to the island, only to be held at the centre of operations here in Hawaii."

She sighed in relief, then snapped back to reality before her coach noticed. "It's awful. Garrett is using her to blackmail Tyson. He's the one who had the Fusion…I mean…I…the blade, actually…" She's done it. She'd let it slip.

"Come again, Raine?"

"The truth is…that Garrett and I haven't been the ones in possession of the Fusion Blade for the past couple of days. A Beyblader named Tyson had it…but we were trying to get it back, honestly! That's why we have a hostage! Garrett's made some other deals with him too…"

"First of all, I'm terribly disappointed that you even let the Fusion Blade out of your sight. Keeping it safe is a huge responsibility of yours! How did Tyson get his hands on it?"

Raine wasn't one to lie. Pharoas could read her like a book; his keen eyes could tell what a person was thinking in a single glance; so there was no point lying anyways. She had no other way out of this one...only the truth.

"It's because…I gave it to him. Garrett didn't have a say on it…I didn't even tell him before I decided to aide Tyson. I went against my own words…although I swore allegiance to you guys, I did it anyways. And I don't feel the least bit guilty." Only her last words were inaccurate, because she _did_ blame herself guilty. But in this situation , she'd already felt that she'd lost, and was no longer afraid to be straight up with him.

Raine still expected the worst reaction, something like "Dirty little traitor…we'll make you pay dearly for this…you'll regret you own existence!"

But he didn't react that way. Pharoas didn't show any rage at all. He just spoke in the unnerving way he always did.

"Raine, Raine, Raine…what drove you to do that?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You betrayed me…what a dangerous decision for someone to make…"

"…Yes…but I did what I thought was right!" she added desperately.

"You know, recently I've been thinking about why exactly I recruited you. Your personality conflicts with every aspect of this job…and you're not all that trustworthy , either. But just now, you've reminded me. It's definitely _not_ your integrity that I admire…its something else, a unique quality you have, that makes this team complete."

"What's that?"

"You stand alone. All your life, you've wanted nothing to do with anyone else, because you're different. You're better than them."

"That's not true" she said. "I've always wanted to be part of a group. I'm just…"

"In one word, ruthless. Outside the stadium, you're the shy, innocent young woman…but when it comes right down to it…you _are_ ruthless. And it amazes me to no end how well you conceal that. Exactly what the team needed. To be honest, I'm _glad_ that we lost Lila and Gabriel. If they'd still been around today, I never would've had the opportunity to meet you. Blaise is a confident, easy going guy who waves his talent in everybody's face like a celebrity. Pedro is unruly and a bit arrogant but can certainly get the job done. Garrett is the shifty but uncertain kid, and he's incredibly obedient. And you, you're different than all them. You keep quiet all the time, socializing very rarely to hide you skill. It would be impossible to tell that you're an elite Beyblader at first glance. And even if someone got to know you, they still wouldn't figure it out. You are a taciturn girl, Raine…and that is why you will be the one to possess the ultimate power when the time comes…which has come earlier than I expected. "

She could not believe what he was saying.

"…Did you just say…you're _glad_ that two innocent people are dead!" Raine was obviously referring to the late Lila and Gabe, two former members of Velocity of light, both dearly missed by Pedro. The brother and sister duo trained alongside Pedro and Blaise, before the two…met an unfortunate end.

"Of course," the man continued impassively. "You and Garrett are their replacements, remember? Best decision I ever made…"

Another unsettling thought struck Raine hard. "What do you mean _decision_? Decision? You…you wouldn't dare……_plan_ that accident that took their lives!"

"Raine…let me be honest with you…there wasn't a plane accident at all. Nothing like that ever happened. I _did_ plan that. But before you judge me, let me explain my reasoning. I introduced the same idea to Gabriel and Lila as I did to Garrett and you; the island, the captives, the entire Thermolysis deal. They didn't take it like I'd hoped. Both of them panicked at the thought and refused to help me out. I couldn't just let them go, once I'd explained the whole plan to them…"

"…So you sent them to the island."

"Precisely."

Tears filled Raine's eyes. This was enough, the last straw. She couldn't help him anymore, it was just so wrong. "………You are a sick, twisted person, Pharoas! I've…had it! I can't do this anymore!"

He spoke to her calmly. "Do not raise your voice, take a few deep breaths and settle down."

"…No. Not this time. I'm going to the police. Then the BBA. They'll hear of this."

"You won't, not if you care about what happens to the people on the island."

* * *

Although they had not seen exactly in which direction Kai had gone, Garrett seemed to have a pretty good idea where he was headed. His eyes were locked on the path before him, and he hadn't stopped once since he began running, which was much to Tyson's dismay. It proved very difficult to keep up with him, but he refused to let it show. Garrett kept darting through alleyways to lose them. Of the three, Daichi seemed to be having the least amount of trouble; he ran neck to neck with Garrett and repeated the same questions over and over:

"Where exactly are we going, again? What's even going on here!"

He replied the same way each time. "Why are you guys following me!"

"Because…I want to know what Kai wants…with the Fusion Blade!" Tyson managed to say between breaths.

"…I know" Garrett muttered to himself, "And that's why I've gotta get there fast…"

They emerged from between two buildings onto a nearly empty street, the only source of light being a few lampposts lining the sidewalk where only one otherperson stood.  
Garrett stopped dead suddenly, not taking notice, and observed the area franticly.

"…Finally…" Tyson fell to his knees exhausted. "Man…could you _please_ just tell us _where_ we're going that what Kai has to do with all this?"

"Exactly how much did Raine tell you about the Fusion Blade, Tyson?" Garrett asked, calmly as he could, trying to remember in which direction the demolished tower was.

"It's the Beyblade…that housed the Bit-Beast Thermolysis many years ago, before it was released."

"And how much do you know about Thermolysis, then?"

Daichi interrupted. "What the heck are you two talking about!" he yelled angrily. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on here! Why won't anyone answer me!"

"It's a long story, shrimp, so just sit tight and shut up!" Garrett snapped back in frustration, franticly searching his mind. It was in the opposite direction to where they came from…

"What did you just call me!" the red-head fought back angrily. "Why don't you come over here and say it to my face, ya big, stupid…"

"I am _trying_ to think! Shut up already! Just let me!"

It came to him. Finally he remembered. Without warning, Garrett bolted down the street again. Daichi started after him with even more determination than before, and Tyson reluctantly followed behind.

The single bystander had watched all of this attentively. A lucky coincidence that he'd been in the right place at the right time, walking on his way back from the hospital that night.

Ray could sense that something wasn't right about all this talk of Thermolysis. He felt compelled to pursue them, but he knew better than to just rush into a situation he barely understood. Thinking fast but wisely, he headed for their hotel instead.

* * *

Kai, who had even more determination and strength than any of them, had already arrived in the deserted area. Suspecting that he'd lost his pursuers, he gradually slowed to a walking pace. He passed familiar landmarks; the abandoned tennis court and countless buildings with windows either broken or boarded up. Kai even passed the shop old souvenir shop. It then occurred to him that he was still wearing the black jacket bearing The Thrashers' logo. Ironic, really.

Nothing seemed to have changed since the last time he'd been to the tower ruins. The rocks, the debris, and the gigantic cleft in the ground; the trap which Thermolysis set for him last time.

He stared down the crevice, then held the Fusion Blade over it.

"Here's your Beyblade, creep!" he called down, dropping the Blade.

But as quickly as it disappeared into the darkness below, it re-emerged emitting a gold aura. Beyblade levitated in midair, then threw itself back onto the surface and stopped glowing.

"_I give you my thanks, Kai, but I'm not done with you quite yet."_

The voice came from the fissure below. Thermolysis.

"I got you the Beyblade. My work is done. Now we're even; don't _ever_ bother me again."

"_No, Kai. I've got further instructions for you…you'd better listen up, or else."_

"Or else _what_? You're sealed away down there, which is how you'll be forever and ever; because I'm not gonna help you anymore."

"_Yes, you will. And if you refuse…I'll torture you for the rest of your life. I lead you here through your dreams, didn't I? I'm just as capable to do that while you're conscious. When you're in the middle of a critical match, do you really want me to suddenly inflict mental anguish? You don't want that, Kai."_

Kai _didn't_ want that. But it tore through him, having to take orders from this monster…he didn't want to take orders from anybody…but again, there wasn't a choice. Kai knew that.

He also knew that there was always a way to turn a situation in his favour. For revenge.

His eyes narrowed. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"_Smart decision, Kai. Here's what I want you to do………"_

_

* * *

_

The three bladers were still in pursuit meanwhile, with Garrett in leading them through the rough, abandoned part of the city. Tyson and Daichi had never seen this place before.

"Garrett, why on earth would Kai go to a place like _this_?" Tyson asked.

"Because…there is a very significant landmark here"

"…This place is kinda freaking me out…" remarked Daichi. "It's like an abandoned city from a horror movie…one of those movies where a group of teenagers decide to go explore the creepy ghost town and all end up massacred!"

Garrett took advantage of the situation. "Yeah, like that…only this is for real, shrimp! This is _real_ _life_…fear for your lives…"

"Stop calling me a shrimp! I can't wait to show you up, jerk…"

"Ignore him, Daichi, just focus on keeping up!" Tyson ordered, who pulled ahead of Daichi a while ago.

Soon after, they came upon the remains of the tower. As expected, Kai was there, standing over the fissure and appeared to be talking to himself while holding the Fusion Blade up into the air.

"Here we are…" Garrett announced, his eyes locked onto Kai.

Tyson and Daichi looked around in astonishment.

"…This place…what is it?" Tyson gasped.

"Wow, Ruins!" Daichi declared. "It's the old ruins of something. Something particularly huge…I mean, look at all this debris and charcoal!"

"That means there must've been a fire here…"

After quickly scanning his surroundings Garrett charged forward, avoiding obstacles as he went. Kai sensed the blader's presence behind him almost instantly. He removed his Dranzer Beyblade from the pocket on his sleeve and replaced it with the Fusion Blade, then turned to face Garrett, who glared at him with a frightening glint in his eyes. The boy stopped a couple of feet away from Kai.

"What do you want with me?" he asked expectantly.

Garrett answered by throwing a punch at him. The Bladebreaker stepped sideways to dodge but not fast enough to avoid being nailed in the forehead. Kai in return grabbed both his shoulders and pushed him back, stumbling dizzily after being hit.

"…Biggest mistake of your life, pal…" he growled angrily, feeling his forehead. No blood, luckily. Kai held in the strong desire he had to hit him back.

"Give me the Fusion Blade" Garrett replied sternly.

Daichi and Tyson watched in disbelief.

"Come on, the blade belongs to us" Garrett repeated, making a fist threateningly.

"You're a coward" Kai said in disgust. "Resorting to physical violence only reveals how insecure you are about your skills as a Beyblader." He inserted Dranzer into the black and red launcher of his and aimed it at his opponent. "Come on."

Garrett did nothing, only stood there and glared as he did before.

"_Are_ you a coward?" he waited impatiently for a reply. Garrett didn't move a muscle. Kai lowered his blade. "You really don't want to battle me properly? …Fine, then; if it's a fist fight you want, then that's what you'll get…"

Tyson stepped in. "No way, guys. That's not gonna get us anywhere."

"Standing around negotiating isn't going to get us much further!" Garrett lunged at Kai unexpectedly again. Daichi jumped onto Garrett's back and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Get off me, crazy little shrimp!" he choked. Garrett ran in circles comically trying to get him off, but Daichi just strangled him further.

"Quit calling me a shrimp!" He finally let go, leaving Garrett gasping for air. That only stopped him for a second; he got right back up and threw another punch at Kai. It was unsuccessful this time, as Kai was prepared and avoided him with ease.

"Give…it…back…" the silver haired Beyblader panted. This was definitely _not _going in his favour. He and Tyson's Beybattle earlier had already used up some of his energy to start with, then sprinting all the way here, adding to the stress of losing the Fusion Blade and now this…Garrett was exhausted physically and mentally, too. What a mistake this escapade had been…but it was his duty.

"You're too weak" said Kai. He took out the Fusion Blade and held it in front of Garrett. Garrett reached quickly and tried to take it, but Kai just taunted him and pulled it back. He laughed. Garrett dropped to his knees tiredly.

Tyson held out his hand and offered to help him up, but Garrett just stared confusedly. _Why did he care about what happened to him? _

"Come on, get up". Tyson pulled him up by his hood. Garrett stumbled to stay up.

"Alright Kai, tell me what's going on here!" Daichi asked frustrated.

He frowned. "That's none of your business, Daichi", Kai replied.

"Yes it is!" objected Tyson. "We've all got the right to know what the heck's going on! Why did you steal the Fusion Blade? What do you need it for?"

"It's not like I had a choice, Tyson!"

"But what is that supposed to mean?"

"I can't tell you that!"

"Why not!"

Again, Kai aimed Dranzer directly at his opponent. "Tyson. I'd tell you if I could. But I can't. So you and Daichi just leave me alone, okay!"

Aware of what this situation was turning into, Tyson also prepared his blade. "No way, Kai. We want answers."

This was stupid. Why couldn't he just tell him? Then Kai heard the voice again, Thermolysis.

"_They're not getting any answers_. _You're not going to say anything at all, Kai. Take care of those three quickly, and we shall continue."_

"I despise you so much…" Kai said under his breath. "Hated monster…I'll show you…"

He fiercely launched his blade, as did Tyson. The Dragoon and Dranzer Beyblades collided in midair. Garrett and Daichi watched from the sidelines, both ready to jump in if something went wrong.

"You know, we could really save time if you'd just _explain_ what's happening!" Daichi said angrily, ignored by Tyson and Kai.

The Beyblades charged at and hit each other repeatedly, neither one holding back. Just like old times, but with higher stakes.

It was a tough terrain to fight on; obstacles included pieces of broken stone walls, rocks and the enormous crevice only inches from where the blades spun.

They were too equally matched; it was time to bring out the big guns.

"Dragoon!"

"Dranzer!"

"Attack!" Tyson and Kai yelled simultaneously.

Their blades glowed, blue and red, and a light emerged from each. Dragoon and Dranzer appeared and faced one another, both looking brutally determined.

"So that's Dranzer…" Garrett said, impressed. "Pharoas was right when he said that Kai and Dranzer were a tough duo…but Thermolysis is still stronger, for sure…"

"Flare wall!" Kai commanded Dranzer to use a new technique he'd practiced. The phoenix flew up high into the air, then dove down cloaked in flame, hitting the opposing Bit-beast head on. Tyson's blade was thrown back, sliding across the dirt and nearly into the fissure. Dragoon snarled and slashed Dranzer with its enormous claws. That did less damage, only throwing the blade off balance slightly.

"We're not enemies, Kai!" Tyson called, "Why do we have to fight like this? I'm gonna ask you one last time…"

"I'm don't feel like negotiating with you Tyson! If you didn't want it to come to this then you should've minded your own business! Enough is enough; I'm finishing this! Dranzer, Volcanic Emission now!"

In a blaze of white flames, Dragoon was overwhelmed; the creature disappeared back into its blade, and the blade remained motionless on the ground.

Daichi and Garrett were both in disbelief. But Tyson was in pure shock.

"Just like that…he beat me _that suddenly_!"

Kai did not call Dranzer back. The Beyblade was still spinning rapidly, and the Bit-beast soared in the sky above them, watching Kai intently. They had a plan.

"Now," Kai stated, "It's time. You guys better stand back."

Tyson, Daichi and Garrett could only watch as Kai held the Fusion Blade over the fissure, shut his eyes tight and began…:

"Thermolysis………"

* * *

There ya go. HUGE CLIFF!

Garrett: Idiot! You're not supposed to end a chapter right before something happens! It's confusing!

……………umm….ignore him…..

The next chapter is called **History repeating itself?** and well you can guess what its gonna be like! Or not. I dunno.

Anyhow if you're reading this, thanks a whole lot, I appreciate it.

R&R, no flames please,


	21. History Repeating Itself?

Hiya!

Yay, people are still reading this! Either that or you're on the wrong web page. Hopefully, you're reading, though, that's what I'd hope for.

So hopefully I'll be able to update faster since its summer but be warned, I have one of those families who likes to take random daytrips as often as possible during the summer… . Hard as I try, I may or may not get a lot done, I AM TRYING HARD!

Kai: You're not trying hard enough, obviously! Work harder.

……Fine…guess I have been wasting a lot of my summer in front of the idiot box watching the Simpsons. Heh. Oh and I read the 6th Harry Potter book…in two and a half days, not bad for a 13 year old, huh? (Of course now my eyes hurt due to staying up all night reading…stupid eyes…or maybe it's the book's fault. I dunno.)

**Here we go again…Disclaimer:** Clearly I do not own Beyblade. If I did, I'd force them to make another season. Or two. Or three...no, four. Yeah, four more seasons. But I don't own it _yet_, so we'll all have to wait until I do someday own Beyblade. Unlikely, but don't we all have the right to dream?

Oh, andignore any stupid typos; like pretty much every other one, most of this chapter was written at 1:00 a.m the day before I posted it and the next morning.My bad.

* * *

"…Thermolysis…"

That was all they heard him say. Kai then started speaking inaudibly but what I was saying was clearly complicated…

The ground trembled violently, as it did before. Not just the area in ruins; this time, the entire island of Hawaii felt the shockwave. A blinding light blasted from the fissure and lit up the sky, so much that it appeared to be daylight for a few seconds before it disappeared.

If the tremor hadn't awoken everyone, the brilliant light did…

(Okay if this next part sounds confusing, it's other peoples POVs of when the tremors and light happened)

* * *

Rick bolted from his seat in the hotel room and pressed his face against the window.

"Whoa! Judy, everyone, you've gotta see this! The whole sky just lit up…an eclipse or something!"

"Actually, an eclipse is the opposite, Rick" corrected Emily, "An eclipse is when the moon blocks the sun's rays and everything on our planet goes dark for a minute or so…"

"Whatever! I don't care _what_ it is, but I've never seen it happen before!"

Judy joined Rick in front of the window, too bewildered to bother correcting Rick and Emily's statements. "I haven't seen anything like this either, or heard anything about it…or _why_ on earth it would happen. There isn't any kind of abnormality with our rotation around the sun this week, Emily?"

"Not that I've heard" she replied. "Don't think that would cause something like this anyways."

"Hey, are you guys still playing or what?" Michael called impatiently from the other side of the room. "If you don't come back here right now, Eddy and I are going to look at your cards!"

* * *

The earthquake jolted Hilary awake instantly. She was in a cold, dark room. She squinted, but couldn't distinguish anything in the blackness. Tiredly, Hilary tried to remember where she was exactly…and why she was there…

Suddenly, a beam of light entered the room through the window. For a brief moment she could see her surroundings. It was some sort of office; there was an oak desk in front of her, and shelves crammed full of files. The desk was a complete mess, covered in papers and a framed picture of eight kids. Reminded her of Tyson's disastrous desk. And in the opposite corner of the room sat a shorter boy with two green mohawks, and a pair of goggles on his forehead. His hands were binded together by a rope. It was then that Hilary noticed she too had her hands tied.

But the flash of light disappeared quickly and the room was shrouded in darkness again.

"What…was that?" asked the boy.

"I don't know, lightning maybe" she answered sensibly.

"I meant those tremors. An earthquake? Followed immediately by lightning? That sure is strange. Not impossible, but weird. I think maybe this could be have something to do with the 'mission' they were all talking about…"

None of this made sense to Hilary. "Hey, guy…where are we exactly? Why are we all tied up?"

"Well…you've only been here a couple of days and I'm not sure _why_ exactly, in your case. As for me, I heard something about using me as a _warning_ to everyone else. I'm Cameron, by the way, but call me Cam."

"_You're_ Cameron?" Hilary exclaimed. "The missing kid, Cameron? Everyone awoke one day to find a huge gash on your room door, and you nowhere to be found! It really freaked us out! …Are any of the other missing people here as well?"

"…There are others missing besides us?"

"Yeah, a whole bunch…Lee of White Tiger X, Kane of the Eon Bladers, everyone from the Barthez Battalion, even the announcer Brad Best. They're gone, all of them, nowhere to be found."

Cam took a deep sigh. "This situation is starting to sound hopeless…"

"So it seems…I'm Hilary, by the way"

"Right, Hilary. I've seen you hanging around with Tyson and the other Bladebreakers before."

Hilary muttered something under her breath, staring into space.

"What's the matter, miss him already?"

"W-what? …No way!" Hilary was thankful for the darkness now, because she was blushing. "I was just thinking about how much of a jerk he can be sometimes! You know, it's all his fault that I'm here. I had to accompany him on a _walk_, just to make sure he didn't get into any trouble, like a stupid little kid…then he ditched me! If he'd just been a bit less selfish…"

"If that's the case, then he probably feels bad, now that you're gone and its all his fault." explained Cameron.

"Doubt it."

"No, really. Think about it; wouldn't _you_ feel guilty if you were in his position?"

"If I were in his position? Tyson doesn't think the same as us. Actually, he's probably even missing a few vitally important brain cells…that's how he acts most of the time, at least. Tyson seldom listens to me, his team mates or even his older brother. And he bugs me all the time…" Hilary sighed. "Probably even took him a while to notice that I was gone…"

"You say he bugs you often?" Cam asked, smirking.

"Yes."

"Then he probably cares about you more than you give him credit for. He's probably quite fond of you. "

"…What? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"No, its what we do." Cam said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Annoy the heck out of people you like? No, you're wrong. That's such a dumb thing to say."

"I'm serious. I'll bet you that Tyson's probably looking for you right now and is gonna bust us out of here any time soon" he said hopefully, "_I'll bet you._"

"…Whatever." Hilary rolled her eyes and ignored him for a while longer before drifting back to sleep.

* * *

Mr. Dickinson and two of his executives stood before the tall, glass window in his office at the BBA Tower II. Their meeting had been briefly interrupted by the earthquake, but it didn't cause them much worry, and they resumed their conversation almost immediately afterwards. After all, quakes were normal in this part of the world.

It was the luminous beam of light that caught their attention.

The sky, which tonight was dark and grey, suddenly brightened completely without warning.

The executives arose from their seats right away to have a look outside. The chairman of the BBA was about to follow them, when something dawned on him. These two events that had just occurred in succession seemed terribly familiar.

"What is _that_?" the older of the two men asked, baffled. He pointed to some kind of figure, off in the distance, rising in the beam of light.

"Mr. Dickinson, come here and take a look at this!" the second younger executive said in awe. "_This_ is something else, man! What the heck's happening? This is…weird! Why'd I have to leave my camera at home today of all days…"

Mr. D got to his feet with the help of a walking cane, pushed his chair in and slowly walked to the window. "That…I've seen it before…somewhere. But I can't recall exactly where."

The light began to fade away and the figure was becoming clearer. It was a creature of some sort…long, snake-like body, sharp claws, a row of silver spikes down its back. A dragon. It couldn't be anything else. That meant that it had to be a bit-beast, some kind of sacred spirit.

At first Mr. Dickinson assumed that it was Dragoon. But as the ray of light dissipated and it became more and more visible, he could see that this was very different from Tyson's bit-beast. Most of its body was concealed in white flames, unlike Dragoon. And unlike Dragoon, it filled his heart with dread. Just staring upon it brought painful memories back.

He _had_ seen it somewhere before, there was no doubt in his mind about it. But Mr. D didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be…the same as before…no, it just really be back. It disappeared. Thermolysis disappeared after it destroyed the original Tower.

But there it was, right before his eyes, in all its glory.

* * *

Tyson, Kai, Daichi and Garrett (who was currently cowering on the ground now that his tough-guy façade had worn off ) stared up in amazement at the resurrected Bit-Beast, and it glared back at them with contempt with its red-crimson eyes. Garrett couldn't stand to even look at those eyes. Their depth and intensity reminded him off his coach. And Pharoas was the last thing he wanted on his mind right now, considering he'd failed his orders miserably which would likely grant him some major punishment.

The four bladers waited anxiously for the renegade Bit-Beast to make its move. But it didn't; something was still holding it back. Instead, Thermolysis directed his gaze to Kai. _"One last step. Take the Fusion Blade. Launch it. Now."_

"…You're already out, why do you need me to do that?" Kai asked arrogantly. "Can't you do _anything _for yourself?"

"Don't do it, Kai!" called Tyson. "The Fusion Blade's some kind of supernatural, ancient Beyblade! If you try to use it, it'll exhaust your strength to the point where you'll be hurt!"

"No, it won't".

Garrett finally spoke up. "There's a missing piece here. A silver armband, the relic that goes with the Fusion Blade. Without that, Kai will have no real connection to the blade and it can't drain his power."

"That's a relief…"

"That _also_ means that Kai can't control it, idiot, Thermolysis can do whatever it wants! That's _not_ a good thing!"

"_Do it, Kai. Do it now. Launch the Beyblade, and I can take care of things myself from there."_

Kai glanced over his shoulder. His own blade Dranzer was still spinning. Perfect. Ready for an assault the second the Fusion Blade hit the ground.

"Whatever" he muttered, put the ancient blade into his own launcher and inserted the ripcord. "You're going to regret the day you decided to try and take advantage of Kai."

* * *

There was a crowd of people, Beybladers, tourists and fans, standing just outside the biggest hotel in the city, watching the Bit-Beast far off. Nobody knew what was going on.

Ray searched through the crowd for any sign of Hiro or Max. It took a lot of pushing and shoving people before he found his blond-headed friend.

"Max," he began, short of breath, "What's going on here?"

"_That_." Max pointed to the fiery creature in the distance.

"Darn it, maybe we're too late…"

"Too late about what?" Max asked with concern.

"I overheard something not that long ago, and there's a lot more going on than meets the eye. Kai stole the Fusion Blade for some reason, and made off with it. Tyson and Daichi went after him, along with some other kid with silvery coloured hair who I'd never seen before…"

Another person stormed into their conversation unexpectedly. He was around the same hight as Hiro. Unlike most people you'd expect to meet at a Beyblading tournament, he seemed very clean-cut, with short orange hair, and was wearing a formal-looking suit jacket. Next to him was a much 'lower class' person, around the same height as Ray, with very long wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes. He stood around casually with a skateboard tucked under one arm. Ray recalled him as the one Kai referred to as a show-off; boarding up and down the street the first night they were there.

"What did the silver-haired kid look like!" the rich-looking guy demanded.

"…Well thanks for butting into a private conversation!" Ray said sarcastically, taken aback.

"I'm sorry, just give me a general description of the kid you saw, please."

Ray rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll tell you. He was kind of short, he wore a long-sleeved jacket with a hood and baggy pants. Oh, and he had on these paded gloves for some reason…they really kinda stood out…"

"Damn it, its him" the guy snapped his fingers angrily. "Its Garrett. I _knew_ from the start that he was up to something, and this proves it! Pharoas said that I was being too suspicious…Blaise said that I was being paranoid…but I was right, all along."

Max and Ray looked at each other confusedly and shrugged their shoulders.

The guy turned to Ray. "You saw where they were headed, right? Could you show me there? I need to investigate what's going on."

"Me too" added Max. "Tyson and the others might be in trouble. We've gotta go find them!"

"We're coming as well!" two others added simultaneously. It was Emily and Rick of the All Starz. "I'm dying to get some data on that Bit-Beast" said Emily, who had a laptop tucked under her arm. "And we're both curious to find out more about what's going on."

"Count me in too." This time, it was Tala and the Blitzkreig Boys who interrupted.

"How many people have been evesdropping on this conversation?" Ray groaned, but was ignored.

"A couple of days ago, someone who sounds a lot like that Garrett kid attacked me", explained Tala. "There's been a lot of creepy things happening lately and I want answers!"

"Then I'm coming too!" the younger, brunette member of the team said excitedly. Everyone was surprised when Wyatt spoke up; the little guy who was normally shy, and so far hadn't participated at all in the tournament, was raring to go all of a sudden.

But Tala objected immediately. "Oh _no_ you're _not_, Wyatt! This stuff's too important for a wimp like you. Besides, isn't it past your bed time?"

"Come on, just let the kid go", said Brian. "What's the worst that could-"

"…Why are you siding with _him_?" Tala asked, the frustration in his voice rising intensly.

People standing nearby quickly found a new place in the crowd away from Tala and his unsupportive team mates. It would be a terrible fate to end up in the middle of one of _their_ arguments…

"If Junior really wants to go, then let him", added Spencer. "I don't see why you bear such a stupid grudge against him anyways. He hasn't done anything to you."

"It's not often that you see the Blitzkreig Boys fighting amongst themselves like this…" Ray whispered to Max.

"I know", replied Max in an equally hushed tone, "Brian and Spencer are probably being critical against Tala because he lost to Kane and Salima. I mean, nothing against them, but even I didn't think they were nearly as tough as Tala. Must've been quite the blow to his ego."

"That'd explain why he's lashing out a lot lately…" Ray concluded.

Their conversation only got more heated.

"_I _think that it's because of Kai that Tala resents Wyatt" Brian said suspiciously, as if purposely trying to get his leader even more riled up. "He practically worships Kai, ever since they met in school. Tala must be jealous…"

Before Tala could fight back, Ray purposely interrupted. "Look, you guys, we're leaving _now_. We haven't got any more time to waste, so are you coming or aren't you?"

Seeing as he wasn't likely to be victorious in this argument, Tala just sighed, crossed his arms against his chest and muttered "Whatever."

"Good, then let's be on our way" said the suited redhead. "And just so you know, my name's Pedro. My companion's called Blaise. We're both Beybladers like you all."

"Pleasure to meet everyone…" Blaise said in a goofy voice. "Really, The Man doesn't like us socializing, so I don't get to meet other people like us often."

Everyone was tiring of Blaise's intentional strangeness already, and he'd only even spoken two phrases. The ruins were a fairly long ways away; and clearly, with this guy in tow, it would seem even longer.

* * *

Kai counted backwards from three in his head and launched the Fusion Blade as he was instructed.

"Kai, _no_!" Tyson repeated, but it was too late.

The blade landed, causing the ground to shake for a second. It emitted and eerie golden glow again. Thermolysis glowed the same colour then roared fiercely into the night sky, and fixed it eyes on an obvious target in the distance. Garrett, Kai and Tyson had no doubts to what that target was.

"…The Tower." said Kai, glaring at the Bit-Beast.

"The Tower!" Daichi asked franticly, "What's it want with the Tower? _What_?"

It seemed exactly as before. Thermolysis, and the Tower. This was _exactly_ what Mr. Dickinson had warned them about, and the reason why the Bladebreakers had reunited in the first place; to prevent this from happening. And yet it _was_ happening; this was history repeating itself, right before his eyes.

"_The Tower?"_ Thermolysis said, as if someone had asked a stupid question. _"Haven't I already destroyed it? Aren't the ruins in which you stand the ruins of the BBA Tower? They went right ahead and built another one, didn't they?"_

"Then…why are you looking over at the city like that?" asked Tyson, answering his own question. "If it's not the Tower you're after then………no………"

"_Taking care of the Tower didn't seem to teach them a lesson. This time…I've got my eyes on the entire city!"_

It was now or never for Kai to make his move.

"Dranzer, ATTACK!"

Kai's blade, still going strong from his and Tyson's match, drove into the Fusion Blade and knocked it back. It landed inches away from the fissure. Thermolysis took its gaze off the Tower and glared down below. Kai's move was completely unexpected, and he wasn't to impressed about it.

"_You…you want me to destroy you four first! With pleasure, Kai!"_

"Try me." Kai said determinedly.

Dranzer continued its assault, relentlessly thrashing the Fusion Blade with all its might. Somehow, the opposing blade managed to keep its balance on the edge of the crevice. Obviously, it had high stats in endurance…

"Kai, keep it up!" Tyson called. "Don't let him makes his move!"

"Get 'em, Kai!" Daichi added.

Garrett had no comment. Did it really matter who won this match? Not to him, it didn't; either way, he was in _deep_ trouble.

"Fire Arrow!" ordered Kai.

The blade pulled back for a second, and Dranzer emerged once more. Its eyes showed the same pure determination as its master's. The phoenix's body erupted into red flames, and it dove at the enemy Bit-Beast.

"Alright! Fighting fire with fire!" Tyson cheered.

"Tyson, that's one of the most clichéd lines I've ever heard." said Daichi.

But Dranzer's attack had almost no effect. A wall of flames appeared before Thermolysis and deflected the attack, like a shield.

"How can it do that!" exclaimed Daichi. "That's cheap! No fair…big fiery jerk!"

"Shut up, Daichi, can't you see that this is hard enough without your yelling?" Kai said angrily.

"That's it; I've been told to butt out enough times tonight, I'm getting in on the action!"  
With that, Daichi launched his own Strata Dragoon blade. Like Kai, he started attacking right away.

"You guys want to see something cool?", Daichi asked, "Check _this_ move out! Gaia Storm!"

The gold dragon rose from its blade, scanned its surroundings and then drove underground as it typically would for an attack; but for the first time they'd seen, it re-emerged spinning rapidly, creating a strong gust of wind around itself which quickly turned into a twister.

"Alright, its actually working!" cheered Daichi.

"What do you mean by that?" Tyson asked suspiciously. "This had better not be the first time you've ever used the move…"

"…So what if it is?"

"That's not safe at all! Didn't you see what happened when Patrick tried that? He practically flooded the entire stadium and things could've been much worse."

"Well, _no_, I didn't see that. And who cares anyways? It's working isn't it! Get 'em, Strata Dragoon!"

Strata charged at Thermolysis. For a second time, the wall of flames appeared to protect deflect the oncoming attack.

"Attack from behind, Dranzer!" Kai ordered suddenly.

Kai and Daichi's Beyblades and their Bit-Beasts attacked Thermolysis and the Fusion Blade from either side. It was a smart move, and almost connected…_almost_. To everyone's dismay (minus Garrett who didn't seem to care), Dranzer's Fire Arrow was blocked at the last possible second. Thermolysis summoned up fire to encircle its body completely, and both Fire Arrow and Gaia Storm were blocked.  
Apparently endurance wasn't this blade's only strong attribute…it also had a defence that would impress Max.

"That didn't work either!" said Kai in frustration. "Damn it, I was sure that would be its weak point!"

"I don't think this thing _has_ a weak point…" Daichi said in shock.

"_The small one is correct"_ The Bit-Beast answered confidently.

Instead of Daichi's usual reply, which would be something like "Who are _you_ calling _short_!", he just sighed hopelessly. Even he, who normally had an endless amount energy, was tiring of this.

Tyson couldn't stand being an onlooker of this very important match…if only his Dragoon blade hadn't been damaged, courtesy of Kai…

"_My turn to attack."_

The Fusion Blade quickly escaped Dranzer and Strata Dragoon's attack ranges while their guard was down, turned sharply and returned for an attack. It knocked Strata back, causing it to collide into a rock. He recovered, though, and unsteadily spun back into the battle. Again, Thermolysis went after him. The blades were locked in combat.

* * *

"Since nobody seems to be talking here, I think it's time to establish everyone's nicknames!" the skateboarding, blond-headed Blaise announced.

"Now's not the time to be making up stupid names!" objected Pedro.

"Aww, don't spoil my fun. Let's see…"

"Whoa, watch it!" Tala had to quickly dart sideways, or else Blaise would have collided into him.

"Sorry, 'bout that, I was deep in thought."

"Why don't you pay some attention where you're going instead?" Tala snapped back. _"What an idiot…I can't stand people like him."_ he thought angrily, and accidentally said it out loud.

"That's cold, Blitzkrieg-guy…" Blaise said in a mock-sad tone. "You're _really_ cold...Freezer. And as for the other Blitzkrieg Boy, I heard the other guy call you Junior, so that who you'll be."

Pedro rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. _"That's just sad…"_

"Max…you can be Goldy, because of your hair colour; Emily is the Professor because those she's so very intelligent, Rick…"

"I don't want a stupid nickname!" Rick cut in before he could answer. "Just Rick is fine!"

"…Ricky" Blaise replied, smirking evilly. Rick fought to hold back an urge to pound the guy for even daring to call him that. Instead, he kept his mind on the task ahead and continued the pursuit with everyone else, much to Blaise's luck, because Rick was not one you'd want to get into a fistfight with. (a/n: come to think of it, getting into a fistfight with most Beybladers would be a bad idea…) "As for Ray…he can be Neko. No, _Ko_neko…wait, that's fruity. Maybe just Neko. Either that, or…"

"Blaise, _shut up_!" Pedro, Tala and Rick all yelled simultaneously.  
Blaise was about to come back with his own smart remark, but quickly reconsidered after seeing the deadly glint in their eyes, mainly Tala.

"Whatever…let's hurry up and get to wherever we're going!"

* * *

Daichi was losing fast. Kai tried to direct the opponent's attention away so that his blade could recover, but Thermolysis had its eyes on Strata at the moment and couldn't be distracted.

"Again, Gaia Storm!" Daichi yelled tiredly.

"Save you breath; it won't work" Kai said coldly.

With one final blow, the Strata Dragoon blade was thrown high into the air, landing on the other side of the fissure completely still. Endurance, defence and even a wicked attack…did the Fusion Blade have any faults at all?

"No way, Strata…" Daichi groaned. "I lost, even after all that training…"

"Good effort, pal" Tyson said supportively, then turned his attention to the battle still being waged between Thermolysis and Dranzer.

It was beginning to look not so good for Kai, either. While he and Dranzer grew tired, Thermolysis did not, and the Beyblade was spinning nearly as fast as it was when the match began. Kai's initial surprise attack dealt the most damage. Since then, they'd barely done anything.

But he couldn't lose…not this…he couldn't afford to lose with such high stakes…

The previous time, Thermolysis and Pharoas triumphed. Jed lost. The Thrashers lost. The BBA lost.  
"_Not this time_", Kai told himself, "_This time, we win._"

"Tyson! Daichi! Kai!"

* * *

The three bladers look over to the source of these calls, and there stood six familiar people and two strangers. They quickly realised what was going on; Kai fighting a blade which seemed to be independent.

Immediately, they all joined in.

"Three, two one, LET IT RIP!" everyone called simultaneously.

Eight new Beyblades hit the ground and advanced on the Fusion Blade. The glint in Thermolysis' eyes suddenly didn't show the reassurance they did before, but something else. Not quite fear…_apprehensiveness._ No, he wouldn't dare show any kind of fear. An ancient Bit-Beast, afraid of nine simple bladers? No way.

"Alright!" cheered Tyson. "Max, Ray, you guys are lifesavers! If you'd arrived a minute later, things could've turned really bad…thanks a whole lot!"

"Don't thank us yet" said Ray. "Wait until this is over to thank us. For now, let's take care of…this…Bit-Beast?"

"Guys…do you remember when Mr. Dickinson told us about that creature that helped Pharoas tear down the BBA Tower I?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah, I remember…Thermolysis was its name."

"This is it. _This_ is the Thermolysis we've heard all about."

"…You have got to be kidding…"

* * *

"I really didn't expect it to get this bad…poor judgement on my part."

"…What are we going to do now?"

"Not _we_, _you_. You're going to march over there and tell Thermolysis to stop. Then you'll take the Fusion Blade and leave. It's as easy as that."

"_Me_? Why can't you do it? I really don't think it'll listen to me. It didn't respond to Garrett at all."

"I didn't expect it to; Garrett is weak. Not a bad Beyblader, but he isn't near mentally prepared for something like this. Trust me, you'll be fine. Bit-Beasts can recognize greatness. Why do you think Thermolysis sought Kai's help? Because it knew that Kai had the will to release it. It's as simple as that."

The battle raged on, but it was the Beybladers who had the upper hand now. Thermolysis strained to defend itself against attacks coming from every angle. The Bladers took turns hollering commands to their precious blades.  
She could recognize Tyson and Kai, and the younger redhead who'd been spying on the match before. And Garrett…why was he on the ground? Why wasn't he doing anything about this? How was she even supposed to get near Thermolysis with all the action going on?

"Ignore them" her coach said, like he'd been reading her thoughts. "Just walk over there, slowly and silently, do what I told you before…"

"I……", she stuttered, "I really don't think I should…I mean, I don't want to do this anymore. No way."

He sighed. "You're making this harder than it has to be…come on."

"I can't control it. I don't have the other relic. The silver armband's missing."

"…Do you have any idea who might have it, then?"

She knew very well who had it. Tyson Granger. He didn't have it at the moment, but it _was_ in his possession.

"I have no idea where in the world it could be."

The coach smiled wickedly. "You're an excellent liar. But I'm hard to fool, even for you. You know where it is…but that isn't important right now. Go forth and do what you're told."

She hesitated yet again. "N-No…it isn't right…"

"…Please, not this again…we've had this conversation before, Raine. Are you loyal to me, or not? Perhaps you'd rather skip over there and join forces with Tyson…is that what you'd like? Leave this team behind forever, and abandon the poor people at the island whose current safety depends on your loyalty?"

Raine turned around, facing him for the first time this conversation, and gave him a dark look. "…Blackmail."

"Call it what you want. You betrayed me first, Raine. I'm not stupid. Make your decision; are you with us, or aren't you?"

She had nothing else to say to him. In her head, she'd made her decision.  
"_I never thought I'd betray him, but things have turned out differently then I anticipated…those darn winds of fortune refuse to blow my way. This is how it is and there's nothing I can do about it. I always wonder whether I made the right decision agreeing to help him. But then I think of who I was before I came here, and who I am now…_"

Raine put up her hood and marched forwards obediently.

* * *

And there ya have it. Chapter 21. Muahahaha Raine is a weirdo...and we don't know who she's loyal to...well, I do, but I call the shots here anyways, Right?

Actually that was _not_ how I was originally going to end it, it was going to be longer, but I've gotta go away with the family for a while, _now_. So the choices were either post it how it is or wait another two weeks.

Don't ditch Beyblade yet. So many dumb people are abandoning fics and websites, but PLEASE DO NOT BE LIKE THEM…stay with us, people, stay with us…okay I sound real weird right now, but seriously…it really bugs me. Dumbfaces.

So anyways, hope you enjoyed that, nothing I can do if you didn't. The next chapter will be posted…uh…either in August or September, probably September because I'm leaving later today for a week or two and most of my time's booked up in August, so yeah. I'll_ work on it_ in August, just can't guarentee that it will be _done_ in August.

So, NO FLAMES but please review, 'kay? Make it my 14th birthday present (wahhh I don't wanna grow up, I'm getting old…sniff)

Keep on Beyblading! See y'all later.


	22. Fighting Fire

Hiya!

Long time, no see. Holy smokes, I just realized what a slow writer I am.

Kai: I think everyone else figured _that_ out a long time ago…

Yes. I have no excuse for taking so flipping long to update. It's not schools fault, its not family's fault, its my own friggin fault, and I'm sorry. Really.

Garrett: Spoiled brat, just wait until you have to get a job.

Hehehehe….hehe…ahem. Here we go again, for the 22nd time (or maybe less than that, I've probably forgotten it a couple of times) with the dreaded DISCLAIMER:

Disclaimer: I own Beyblade and every little thing to do with it…HA! FOOLED YOU! Just kidding, I don't. And I probably never will. I own the plot of this fic and the OC characters and stuff like that. Nothing else, _yet_…nah, who am I kidding, it probably isn't ever gonna be mine.

So anyways, enjoy this chappie. I assure you that when you're done reading it, you'll understand what its leading up to which is quite a lot more eventful than what happens here. It may not be as dramatic, but it's still important…

Anyhow, please enjoy the chapter. Ignore typos.

* * *

She had nothing else to say to him. In her head, she'd made her decision.  
"_I never thought I'd betray him, but things have turned out differently then I anticipated…those darn winds of fortune refuse to blow my way. This is how it is and there's nothing I can do about it. I always wonder whether I made the right decision agreeing to help him. But then I think of who I was before I came here, and who I am now…_"

Raine put up her hood and marched forward obediently.

(that's how the last chapter ended. Ya. You might wanna consider re-reading the previous chappy since it' been so long to better understand this one, if you have the patience for that…)

* * *

The ancient snake-dragon Bit-Beast was now faced with nine Beybladers. First there was just Kai, then Daichi. He managed to take out Strata Dragoon without too much trouble. But now, not only did he still have Kai and Dranzer to combat; Thermolysis also had Ray, Max, Pedro, Blaise, Rick, Emily, Tala and Wyatt to deal with. 

Each of the many different-coloured blades took turns hitting their opponent. Thermolysis tried his best to return the favour to everyone, but anytime he'd go against one Beyblade, another one would appear from behind. Though the goal and purpose of the entire situation was unclear, the bladers had each others backs.

That was the fault in the fire Bit-Beast's plan. Blading solo was tough. Not only was he without any allies, but there wasn't even a Beyblader to control the Fusion Blade while he dealt the attacks. Thermolysis needed a partner, and vise-versa. Seeing that Kai didn't seem to keen on the job, he'd have to find someone else.

If only there was someone else who knew how to control the Fusion Blade…

* * *

"Mendoza, its me." 

"……Yes, I know…and could you've possibly called at a later time! I'll tell ya, I haven't slept all week long! It takes an hour and a half to get the stupid kids to shut up _every single night _and _every single morning_…whenever one of the guys goes down to give them some food. They're so unappreciative. I say we just let them starve. I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it…actually, I'd probably even sleep easier…"

"…I don't like your tone there."

"Well, I've never liked _your_ tone."

Pharoas smiled. "Some people never change…. Anyhow, listen up, because this is important. Starting immediately, we're moving all operations to the island."

The man on the other end of the line groaned. "_Everything_?"

"Yes, _everything_. I need you to send a couple of your guys including an equipments specialist over here to pick up our stuff."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do with the other two members of the team? Have you forgotten about the two older boys? You can't just leave them there, and you can't bring them to the island. They still don't even know what's going on. Thought that far ahead yet?"

"There's an easy way of dealing with them. Forget about it and focus and what I'm _asking_ you to do. We're going to abandon the Hawaii Centre of Operations completely. Then, someone's going to detonate it."

"Demitri will enjoy that part…"

"He'll be disappointed. The explosion should only be powerful enough to take down the one solitary building and won't wreck anything else. Is we're lucky, it might even go unnoticed, since that part of town is abandoned; only rats and street urchins remain. Of course, before all that, I'll be needing some power to transfer data from our computers. So you'll need to get our little 'work horses' ready."

Mendoza cursed loudly. "Well, there goes my free, quiet evening…wonderful. Well, at least with the power running I can call my mom…she'll likely be wondering where the heck I've been the past few months…you'll have your power." Then he slammed down the phone.

As Pharoas closed the cell phone and turned his attention back to the match, he couldn't help but feel proud with himself. Although not all things were going as planned…they actually seemed to be working out even better.

"It's all coming together…"

* * *

"Garrett!" 

The zoned-out silver-haired blader snapped back to reality. But he wished he hadn't after realized who had just addressed him. It was Pedro, the 'leader' of his team (of course you can hardly call him the leader, considering he has no control over his team mates…). He was one of the last people Garrett wanted to see right now…he wasn't in the mood to be yelled at…

"Mind telling us what's going on here?" Pedro asked.

Garrett simply ignored him.

"…You know what's going on here, _don't you_?"

"The G isn't listening" Blaise remarked without taking his eyes off the Beybattle.

"Yeah, I noticed, thanks", he replied sarcastically. Perhaps now wasn't the time to be negotiating with Garrett. But they'd have to have a serious talk after ordeal was done.

_If_ they got the chance to talk after this ordeal was done.

…They didn't.

* * *

Attacking everyone at once would do no good; the flame Bit-Beast figured that out quickly. If he was to have any chance at victory, Thermolysis would have to target the blades one at a time. Get one of the Beyblades cornered, destroy it and move on to the next. 

Dranzer and Wolborg seemed to be dealing the most damage at this point. Driger was lightning fast and hadn't taken a single hit yet. Draciel had an incredible defence. It would be smart to deal with those four quickly…but first, he needed to get rid of some other nuisances.

The Fusion Blade veered to the side and scored a direct hit against Trygator. Emily's new orange and green blade nearly lost balance on impact, but managed to recover. Thermolysis continued the attack, pushing his opponent across the ground.

"Trygator!" She tried to avoid the attacker, but Thermolysis didn't show many mercy. It proved tough for Emily to fight an opponent she's never even seen before; that had always been her Beyblading flaw.

Another powerful hit sent Trygator sliding across the dirt. Rocks caused it to lose even more balance; one more attack and the blade was done for.

"_What you just saw was nothing_" the ancient Bit-Beast hissed tauntingly (a/n: heh, I didn't know _tauntingly _was a real word), "_I think its time for a real attack._"

The Fusion Blade started to glow again. That always led to something dire…

"_Serpent Fume!_"

Thermolysis dove down towards Trygator, the flames on its body burning even brighter than before, in synchronization with the Fusion Blade which was also approaching fast. Trygator had already lost too much speed, there would be no escaping this attack…

At just the right time, a familiar green-purple blade appeared.

"Draciel, Heavy Viper Wall!" commanded Max. Draciel rose from its Blade and stood between the attacker and its opponent.

"Quick thinking, Max!" Emily said thankfully. At the last second, Max had come to her aid. There was no denying that it was a noble thing to do. And although she didn't dare let it show, it meant a lot.

But to Thermolysis, it meant nothing; he continued the attack like nothing had happened and Draciel wasn't even there. The two blades clashed.

Nobody could believe what happened next.

In a second one of the two blades was airborne. Blinding light from Thermolysis' flames made the actual impact impossible to see. Then, the sharp sound of metal being hit confirmed a second blade had been struck.

The next thing anyone knew, the charred pieces of Draciel and Trygator were scattered across the battlefield.

* * *

Draciel's defences, which were renowned for having strength equal to that of an army, had just been pierced with one single blow. 

Everyone was in awe, especially Max. It wasn't supposed to happen…it wasn't possible…

"_Weren't expecting that, were you? Still want more…? Because that attack didn't even do my true strength justice…."_

"Well then let's see your _incredible_ _true strength _handle a_ real _assault!", shouted Tala. "Wolborg! Give him a taste of your power!"

An angry roar was heard from his silver-grey blade, and it closed in on the opponent as Wolborg emerged from its bit-chip, baring rows of pointed white teeth. The white wolf lunged forwards with those fangs leading. Another wall of fire appeared in front of Thermolysis, but Wolborg didn't stop; instead, it veered away at the last second.

"Black ice!" called Tala.

His blade circled the opponent's, leaving behind a trail of solid ice on the ground. Wolborg bounded in the same pattern as its blade like an animal cornering its prey. It wasn't often that Tala used strategy instead of raw power to defeat an opponent; but he certainly picked the perfect time to give it a try.

"_I get it…Tala's trapping him" _Thought Ray, who was holding back any of his own attacks until the time was right. _"It would be too risky to try and cross the ice. Frozen water is one of the most difficult surfaces to blade on, and something created by Wolborg can only be worse…_"

* * *

She hesitated. Again, Raine's conscience was screaming at her to stop; run away and leave this all behind before any further damage could be done…if only she could made that voice in her head stop trying to tell her what to do… 

"You know that you're going to have to step in soon. They're starting to get wise."

"…I know…"

"Any time now, Raine, there's no time like the present…"

"I already said, _I know that_!"

"…You're nervous. You never pipe up like that unless you're nervous. But your fears are unfounded, you know…you've trained for moments like these. Now, would you rather wait until the last second when everyone will notice you, or will you do the job now when they're all focused on the white wolf?"

She didn't bother answering him. Obviously, since there didn't seem to be a way around this anyways, she would prefer not being noticed by anyone; especially her other team mates or Tyson.

He was right. _Now was the time to act._

Garrett was the only one who had noticed their presence so far. He'd have been terrified to see his boss now (when he was defeated, drained and kneeling on the ground) had he not known exactly what they were planning to do.

If he'd fought and _won_ against Tyson, then there would be nothing to keep the other bladers preoccupied while he and Raine went through with the little plan!

He liked to think that he'd helped the team out in a way.

But in another more painfully obvious way he'd failed the coach completely and looked like pathetic weakling right now.

* * *

With the Fusion Blade trapped, everyone else was given a chance to attack it. Of course, they knew that his attack wouldn't connect with Thermolysis; one attack was too easy to block. But by now, all the bladers had figured that out, too. A couple of assaults wouldn't do, either. 

The only way he could be beat was if all the Beybladers attacked him at once. Without saying a word, everyone knew what to do.

Rick was the first. "Drop-rock attack!" he ordered, making a fist and thrusting one arm in the air. The bull-like spirit, Rock Bison, erupted from his blade in a golden beam of light.

Next, Ray called out Driger. The white tiger appeared before them all, and roared proudly into the night, displaying fangs as pearl white as its fur. Then Driger turned to his master growled as if he was angry at Ray for not calling him out in a while. Ray could sense his eagerness to fight. He, too, wanted a piece of Thermolysis.

"Welcome back, Driger…" he muttered, "I'm sure you're just as raring to go as I am. Let's give him a taste of your Tiger Claw attack, _now!_"

As rocks began to gravitate around Rock Bison, and Driger body glowed in a green light in preparation to attack, another blade entered the fray; one of the two unfamiliar ones. The light blue Beyblade that belonged to Blaise.

Immediately this caught Kai's attention.

Blaise was an enemy. For the moment, they were fighting alongside one another. But in reality, he and all the other members of the Velocity of Light team were enemies who they knew nothing about. If Kai could just get a glimpse of one of Blaise's attacks, maybe he could learn something about the style in which they blade…

Blaise slicked back his bangs and cracked his knuckles. He smiled slyly and eyed the opponent eagerly, when Pedro put a hand on his shoulder.

"Blaise", he said sternly, "Not today. Observe your surroundings…look at who will be watching your attack. Bladebreakers, All-Starz, Blitzkrieg Boys and so on. You know what the coach said…"

"Since when have _you_ taken Pharoas' orders so seriously?" Blaise asked confusedly. "Besides, he'll never know if we help out these guys. And I doubt that Garrett would have the guts to tattle on us."

Pedro looked away and sighed.

"What's the matter, then?"

"That Bit-Beast…the one there…"

"What about it…?"

"It scares me, Blaise. I'm afraid of it."

"_What_?" Blaise said in shock. "What does the red-dragon-dude have to do with anything?"

Pedro's expression went blank, like his mind was wandering somewhere else. Blaise gave him a light shove.

"Pedro, come _on_! What's gotten into you all of a sudden? Why are you acting like this? Look, we're in the middle of a match here, this isn't the time to zone out…"

"Do you remember…what Gabe was trying to tell us, before he and Lila boarded that plane? About their _investigations_?"

Blaise's blue eyes turned cold like his team mate's. "Yeah…I remember…you guys were all wary about the Man…"

"_Damn…why isn't he attacking_?" Kai thought. "_What are those two doing? Are they too dumb to realize how important this next attack is!_" Well, he'd just have to cut their conversation short. "You two!" he yelled. Blaise and Pedro looked up. "Giving up already, or are you actually going to help us out with this!"

"Why should we?" Pedro called back stubbornly. "What obligates us to help you anyways?"

"…Cowards" Kai said coldly. "We don't need help from fiends like you to. We'll do this ourselves, without you pathetic excuses for Beybladers. You ready to win this, Wyatt?"

The young, brown-haired blader nodded eagerly. "Wait and see what I can do now, Kai! I've learned a lot since we last met!"

"Pipsqueak…we don't need you…" muttered Tala. "Wolborg, Novae Rog attack!"

"Fire arrow!" called Kai. The phoenix cried out in response. "Show them how a fight is won…"

Rock Bison, Driger, Dranzer and Wolborg advanced on the enemy. Thermolysis, with nowhere to run, could only watch. He was still confidant that they would lose this battle. He could hold off four attacks, but only just. But it would sap a lot of his strength; hopefully, the same thing would happen to them, and after the assault, he could take them out one by one as he did to Max and Emily.

"Come on, Pedro…let's do this", Blaise said hopefully. "Forget the Man for a moment…I think that our skills are needed!"

"Thermolysis…_that's_ what he said it was called…"

"Then just fight it! Do it for Gabe! Do it for Lila! Show that dragon who's boss! And then we'll nab that Beyblade he's using…come on."

Finally, Pedro came to his senses and faced the battlefield. "Alright, but you're probably going to regret this later on."

"Oh _yeah_!" cheered Blaise. "We've back in business!"

Without another word, their two Bit-Beasts joined the attack, but each their appearances were cloaked in a thick aura. Only a slight bit of the figures were distinguishable; Pedro's had a muscular, four-legged form, large paws with five claws on each one and pointed, triangular shaped ears on the head; definitely a mammal spirit, but besides that one bit of info, not much could be told about it. Blaise's was also shielded by an annoyingly bright light, but this spirit had a form so bizarre that it was impossible to tell what the heck it was at this point.

With seven attacks coming at him at one and no way to avoid it, Thermolysis' pride had been slashed, For the first time ever, _he_ as the one in trouble.

_He _was going to lose.

He braced himself for the moment of truth, expecting the worst. Then he sensed the presence of a young girl standing behind him.

* * *

"_You."_

The words bore into her mind. It wasn't like hearing, but receiving messages telepathically. It almost spoke in the same echoed way that her conscience did, only this voice was different, more sinister…

"_You've been watching for some time now, haven't you..?"_

"I…I have." She took in a deep breath, and looked up to face the creature, and tried to talk as clearly and maturely as she could, which wasn't an easy thing to do when you're frightened out of your mind. "…You need me, don't you? You can't fight alone, because to achieve full power, you need to feed of a Beyblader's own strength…isn't that right, Thermolysis?"

The beast turned to look her straight in the eye. His crimson-red locked with her green ones, and it felt as if time had stopped completely. It overwhelmed her; when she looked at the ancient spirit, Raine felt an awesome sense of power, not fear like most people would, but _power._

Everything Pharoas told her was true…

"_You have a lot of knowledge on my being…Raine."_ Hearing that, she tensed up again. She hadn't mentioned her name yet, and somehow he knew it as if he could read her mind as well as he could speak to it.

"I know a lot because I was taught by your old master."

"_He is a deserter. I helped him along the path to greatness, and he repaid the favor by leaving me locked away for decades. Felix never came."_

"Pharoas, not Felix…", she corrected, nervously.

"_Felix is no longer worthy of the name I gave him. He isn't my master anymore; I had to release myself, and the way things stand now, I won't be free for very long. Damned Beybladers…they deserve to see what things are like when I'm at full power, the damage I could do. No, the damage we could do. The Beyblader Kai had his chance…but now, I think it is your turn…"_

"…I am prepared to take that responsibility…" Raine bowed to the sacred spirit.

Why this Bit-Beast have to talk _exactly_ like Pharoas did? Her coach bothered her enough, the way he'd pause in the middle of sentences and speak in an eerily calm tone all the time…so why did Thermolysis do it, too? He was seconds away from being hit by a combined attack from six elite bladers and he didn't seem to take notice? That was either over-confident or careless. More likely the former.

Despite how much she hated that, she did what she was told.

Raine bowed to the dragon, and reached out one arm, feeling surprisingly tough at the heat of the moment…

And in a sharp flash on crimson light, Thermolysis vanished, and the Fusion Blade appeared in Raine's open hand. Without checking back with her boss or giving anyone a chance to spot her, she ran.

* * *

For a while they just stood there and stared completely thunderstruck. 

It just…disappeared.

Obviously the first thought was "Did we beat it?" but the blade was gone, without a single trace. All their Bit-Beasts had returned to their own Beyblades. Raine and Pharoas were both gone; no one even knew that they were there in the first place.

Garrett saw everyone distracted and ran with the opportunity to escape them. He glanced in each direction cautiously and then slipped away from the former battlefield, unnoticed until Pedro came to his senses and saw that he was missing, but by then it was too late. Pedro and Blaise disappeared very soon afterwards, off to 'beat some truth out of that liar', as Pedro declared loudly.

The Bladebreakers searched the area, but could only find the same thing all around; debris and stones, and the fissure that had only been created an hour ago. All the streets lined with broken-down buildings had no trace of Thermolysis. They only met two 'locals' there; a small black dog and the homeless man Kai met up with once. Neither of them were helpful.

While they were looking, only once did Tyson ask Kai about the black jacket he has still wearing. He didn't bother answering. Kai wasn't sure why he was still wearing the silly thing anyways; it didn't represent what it was supposed to when it was new, how many years ago _that_ was. It was supposed to stand for pride and confidence, to show support for the team. But the Thrashers had probably been dead for a long time, along with many of their supporters.  
Now it was just a reminder of that past.

* * *

It had to be at least two in the morning by the time The Bladebreakers and Daichi arrived safe back in Tyson's hotel room. On the way there, they met up with Hiro and Kenny, and Tyson explained everything that had happened (leaving out not a single detail, as his brother demanded). 

After what had just occurred, it became clear that something had to be done. _Now. _Mr. Dickinson's decision to put the tournament on hold helped nothing; it had done exactly the opposite, giving Pharoas and the Velocity of Light team plenty of extra time to do what they needed.

This lead to the first problem that needed to be addressed; the tournament needed to resume sooner than later. The longer it was put off, the more time the enemy would be given.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the imprisoned people at the Island had to be freed. Tyson hadn't been able to do so when he was there last time. It was not fair. They hadn't done anything to deserve being enslaved.

On the side, there was still the matter of the missing Dizzi. Nobody had seen or heard from her since Kenny's laptop disappeared. More than likely, it had been stolen…Kenny always feared it would happen eventually. Dizzi had data and virtually every Beyblader there is, added to the fact that she herself was a Bit-Beast…she was a valuable being to possess.

"This has gone too far", the coach said sternly, clearly trying to be the leader and have some control over the situation. "It's becoming obvious what Velocity of Light is up to now. If we're going to try and take this situation into our own hands, the time is now or never. Tyson, do you remember in which direction this island place is?

"More or less, yeah" answered Tyson. "If anyone's gonna go there, it should be me. The others are counting on me, and besides, I'm the only one who knows their way around it."

His brother nodded in agreement. "Yes, Tyson will go. But he shouldn't go alone…any other volunteers?"

"_How many times does that 'never go alone' strategy have to go wrong before he realizes that it doesn't help at all_?" Tyson thought, not daring to say it out loud.

To nobody's surprise, Daichi was more than willing to help sneak into the enemy's hideout.

"Maybe its best if I go, too" Ray added. "If I help him escape, Lee might just forgive me for turning my back on him. Kind of selfish on my part, but…"

"Thanks, Ray" replied Hiro, cutting him off. Ray didn't seem to be bothered by it. "Max, Kai, Kenny, you three can go talk to Mr. Dickinson. Is that alright with everyone?"

Everyone in the room answered by nodding solemnly. Minus Kai, who was completely displeased with his task.

"Why should we waste our time trying to negotiate with Mr. Dickinson while there are more important things to do?" he said firmly. It wasn't true. Kai was annoyed by the fact that Tyson, who was (in his opinion) the show-stealer of the century, was going to the island while he would be stuck here _negotiating._

"So then what's more important than this?" Hiro asked.

This time, Kai simply turned away. Tyson's older brother was perhaps even more stubborn than he was, and seeing that his opinion wouldn't likely change, why bother trying? While Hiro didn't lose his temper very often, it wasn't pleasant when he did. Unless of course he rage was directed at Tyson…then Kai found it rather amusing.

"Besides, Kai, you're the captain; so you come with us" added Hiro.

"Well you're the coach; _you_ should go."

"I _am_ going. All four of us are" he said, indicating himself, Kai, Max and Kenny. The blond and the brown-haired boys he referred to were both seated by the small desk in the corner of the room. Only one small lamp provided light on the table's surface, but Kenny strained his eyes to inspect Draciel anyways.

Max's green-yellow Beyblade had fortunately only come apart, and all of the pieces were still intact. Scorched, but intact nonetheless.

"Are you sure that you can repair it without Dizzi's help?" Max asked, looking at his battered blade hopefully.

"You guys mustn't think much of me if you're worried about _that_" the Chief answered sarcastically. "Of course I can fix it myself! Dizzi and I have mended your blades hundreds of times before. We've even designed and built totally new ones; I've learned how to fix any problem that comes up."

"Well, that's good to know," sighed Max, "So then how long should it take to repair Draciel?"

"As long as you don't care about aesthetics, it'll be done by tomorrow afternoon. The burn marks will still be there, but Draciel won't mind, right?"

"Probably not. Thanks a bunch, Chief."

Hiro nodded in agreement. "Yeah, thanks, Kenny".

Each member of the group thinking of their task to come. It wasn't going to be easy; taking care of business was _never_ easy. But if they'd learned anything at all from past experiences, it was that there's always some way to turn a bad situation into a positive one. Biovolt, Psykick, Bega; somehow, the Bladebreakers had overcome every challenge they'd been faced with to this point and lived to tell about it.

Right now, it was unclear whether this ordeal would turn out the same, or if it would be a complete failure.

The dull silence was finally broken by Hiro.

"I'm sure this whole thing's been a bit overwhelming for everyone…so I urge you to go get some sleep. You'll be useless if you all wake up cranky."

"He's right", Kai agreed. "Tyson had better get some rest, because he'll be getting up early tomorrow to train."

"…What! No way!" The navy-haired blader whined. "I trained yesterday! _And _this morning!"

"Well, you mustn't have trained very hard, because beating you was a breeze. This time, train _hard_."

"I _did_ train _hard_!"

"Then train harder." With that, Kai left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. The rest of the team said their good-nights and left shortly afterwards, Tyson complaining the entire time.

* * *

So far, the Bladebreakers' plan seemed like it would run smoothly. It was surprisingly easy for Hiro to arrange a meeting with Mr. Dickinson; if it were any other coach asking, they'd probably be turned down. To their luck, the old chairman had always favoured the Bladebreakers over the other teams and was more than happy to have a talk. 

But it was a bit sad how he'd accepted them, while repeated turning down his son who had the same request.

Tyson also has his task planned out. He played back his first visit to the island in his head over and over, trying to figure out the best way to rescue the hostages. This proved tough. No wonder he usually left the strategizing to Kenny…just thinking too much made his head sore. But there was no way he was going to ask for any help. After humiliating himself upon losing to Kai, Tyson needed to show the rest of his team that he could do this himself.

He'd been crowned Beyblade World Champion three years running. He had responsibilities and a reputation to hold up.

Tyson wasn't ready to let his friends down.

* * *

Six a.m the next morning, Hiro, Max Kai and Kenny were sitting aloe in the waiting room outside Mr. Dickinson's office. They hadn't bothered to wake up the rest of the team; Tyson, Daichi and Ray needed their rest, too. 

The small, square waiting room wasn't a very pleasant place to be spending time in. The walls were painted a bright red colour and was covered in framed photos, mostly of landscapes and various Beybladers. The too themes did not match at all. Having the Blitzkrieg Boys between shots of an exotic African waterfall and an artic sunset just didn't do them any justice. And rather than bring back good memories, pictures of themselves were more like painful reminders of the past; particularly one of the team after their very first tournament win in Russia after Ray had gotten badly beaten-up. Each time a battle ended like that, the Bladers hoped that it wouldn't happen again. But it seemed to be happening more and more frequently with each passing tournament…

After a twenty-minute wait (which seemed much longer than that), a pair of smartly-dressed men emerged from Mr. Dickinson's office and left the room. That was a sign that it was time for their appointment. The four Beybladers got up from their seats and proceeded to the next room.

The chairman was seated on the other side of a cluttered desk and smiled when the group of four entered his office, like usual. But today, there was something different about him…

"It's nice to see you, boys", he greeted with a very false cheerful tone. It was obvious that he was _not_ really excited to see them at all.

"I'm very glad you managed to fit us into your busy schedule", said Hiro.

"What is it that we need to discuss?" It was unlike the normally down-to-earth Mr. D to just cut to the chase like that. There was definitely something bothering him, and he was doing a poor job of covering it up.

"A lot of things, sir, but mainly we have a request about the tournament…"

Before he could say any more, Mr. Dickinson quickly cut in by answering, "Tomorrow. It's starting tomorrow, rain or shine, against all odds. No matter what happens, we're not going to delay it any further. Be there."

And with that he escorted them out, without saying another word, slamming the door shut behind him.

For a moment, all they could do was stare vacantly.

…What did he just say?

* * *

"That's _it_, I've waited long enough! It's 7:00 and he's still out like a light…time to wake him up ourselves." 

"Easier said than done; got any brilliant ideas this morning?"

"Hmm…anyone got a spare mallet or something lying around here? Hehehehe…"

Daichi and Ray laughed. The Bladebreakers never grew tired thinking of new and creative ways to wake up the champ in the mornings.

"I think there are some ice cubes in the mini-bar" suggested Ray, "Try pouring some down his shirt or something…"

Daichi's eyes narrowed and he giggled mischievously.

Meanwhile, Ray returned to his own room to shower and get ready. A few seconds later, he heard Tyson's familiar howls from across the hall followed by something that sounded very much like "_I'm going to KILL you this time, Daichi!_"

* * *

After things had settled down a bit, the small group headed downstairs for breakfast. As usual, Tyson ordered considerably larger portions than anyone his friends and despite that, his plate was cleaned far before anyone else's. Just another one of his unique talents. 

But he was the only one acting normal this morning. Daichi seemed even more excited than usual. He was unable to keep still in his seat and constantly drummed his fingers on the table, which got very annoying very fast. Ray spoke very little, which _was_ like him, but he kept zoning out, staring into blank space, obviously immersed in thoughts. Ray was good at keeping his cool, but today he was completely uneasy.

And who wouldn't be? Everything had happened so fast and without warning, Tyson, Daichi and he were suddenly going to sneak into the enemy's base.

Another disturbing thought was that Tyson decided to take hold of the situation. _He_ was the one planning this whole thing. It wasn't that Ray didn't trust him, but…

…There were just too many things that could go wrong.

* * *

"Tyson, so how exactly are we going to get to this island place?" Ray asked hopefully. 

Tyson put down his cutlery and groaned. "…I'm not entirely sure yet."

"What about getting back here?"

"Nope…"

"Well, you have to figure out _something_ pretty soon", said Ray, giving him a stern look. "I want to help the prisoners as much as you do, but I'm still pretty apprehensive about this whole thing. It seems like we're planning on doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, if you know what I mean, sneaking into the enemy's base seems like more of a bad-guy thing to me…"

"Come on, don't let it bother you, Ray. _Nothing_ is going to go wrong, you can count on it. Back to the point…maybe Mr. Dickinson could lend us a private jet or something?" Tyson suggested.

"We should've thought of that before the others left this morning…its probably too late to ask now…", sighed Ray. "Besides, he'd want to know _why_ on earth we'd all of a sudden need something like that, and we all agreed not to tell anyone about this". Ray couldn't look his team mate in the eyes when he mentioned that last part; because immediately afterwards, he'd planned on telling someone secretly.

"We'll, there's gotta be some way to get there…how about a boat or something?", said Daichi.

"And I suppose you just happened to bring a boat along with you here?" Tyson said sarcastically after wolfing down what remained of his sandwich.

"Well at least I'm making suggestions, Tyson! And your _private jet_ idea wasn't much better…I mean, who actually has an airplane to themselves anyways?"

Ray, who was resting his head in his arms on the table at the time, suddenly got an idea. _"Who actually has an airplane to themselves?"_ Some people did…of course!

"Robert Jurgen does" he said suddenly. "I'm sure of it. He's bragged about it before, and I remember there was a landing pad atop his castle."

"Yeah, but what are the chances he'd actually let us use it…you know what he's like" Tyson groaned. "_What grants you three commoners worthy of borrowing anything that belongs to me_?" he said in a mockery accent.

"That was probably the worst impression I've ever heard in my entire life", teased Daichi. "I can do it much better, here…"

"I think that's beyond the point" said Ray, thankfully stopping the two before they started a best-impression-of-Robert competition. "Robert has a lot; skill, wealth, power; but what he values most is his

pride. If we challenged him to a Beybattle, he'd be inclined to accept. We could make a deal with him!"

* * *

None of the Bladebreakers enjoying searching. They'd done enough of that when people started disappearing, and it was near impossible to go from one place to the next without being stopped by at least one of their fans. Their fan-base seemed to grow with each tournament they attended, which at first they thought was pretty cool (minus Kai, who dislike it from the beginning.) But as the group increased in size, it also seemed to get increasingly annoying. 

Before they finally met up with Robert, Tyson had been approached by two groups of people who all wanted autographs, and one little boy who stole his hat. Daichi got swarmed, too, and there was one group of small girls in particular who followed him for ten minutes. Ray thought he was safe, until a girl appeared out of nowhere and tackled him.

Nearly a half-hour later, they found the Majestics team sitting outside a café a block away from the beach. They were seated at a glass-top table and were each drinking a different-coloured Hawaiian beverage. Johnny and Robert were wearing the same clothing they normally did, but Oliver and Enrique instead were wearing bright, native t-shirts (which signifies absolutely nothing here, believe it). Another noticeable indifference about Enrique was that he had a girl sitting on his lap whom none of the Bladebreakers recognized. She just listened in to their conversation and laughed at inappropriate times. The rest of the team seemed to have no trouble ignoring her which suggested that this wasn't the first time Enrique invited an annoying girl to join them.

When Robert first heard Tyson's explanation and request, all he could do was stare and laugh in disbelief. This wasn't the reaction they hoped to get from him. Actually, this was the opposite.

"…And what exactly, brings you to think that I'd actually lend you something this expensive?" he asked sarcastically without bothering to turn his attention from the chess game.

"What even makes you think he'd lend you anything at all?" added the red-head Johnny. "We don't owe you a favor."

"We don't even like _you_", the girl piped in. "_Right_, Enrique?"

Enrique didn't reply. He knew that any answer he gave her would only anger his team mates for bringing along the girl in the first place.

"Come on, I'm _challenging_ you, Robert!" insisted Tyson. "You aren't gonna run away from a fight, are you?"

"I'm not 'running away', Tyson. I'm simply choosing not to fight. Haven't you noticed that a lot of peculiar things have been happening lately?"

"Well, of course, yeah…"

"And wouldn't it be wise not to get involved in a situation you don't understand?"

"What's your point?" asked Daichi.

"A host of bizarre events have occurred over that past few days. The strangest thing happened last night which nobody has been able to explain. And now all of a sudden, you three show up this early in the morning, missing half your team, asking for me to lend you a plane? _Why_ would anyone need something like _that_ at this time and place!"

"We've been through this, I _can't tell _you!" repeated Tyson. "Come on…just for one day! You don't know how important it is that we use that plane! Please, guys!"

"You sure sound serious…" laughed Johnny. "Are you going to beg for us? Beg on your knees for a Beybattle, Tyson? Maybe then we'll consider your deal!"

"…Never! I'd never beg to jerks like you! I…" Tyson realized that this wasn't going anywhere. He and Johnny could argue all day and never come to a solution. But there had to be a way, he wasn't going to let everyone down…

Robert slid his chair back and rose, stretching his arms out. "You're wasting my time. I you haven't got anything else to say, then leave."

"…Fine", Tyson sighed. "Listen. We can Beybattle, and if I lose…then…I'll quit. I won't fight another battle in this entire tournament, not even the final matches. I'll just sit back and watch. But if I win, you have to lend me that chopper."

"That is an appealing offer" Robert said, smiling slyly with interest. "But it isn't enough."

"What more do you want?"

"How about this? You win, and you'll get what you want. If I win…you quit the tournament and the rest of your little friends have to as well. All the Bladebreakers have to boycott the competition. Sound fair?"

"How is that in any way _fair_!" argued Ray.

"No…it's fair" Tyson said subtly.

"Tyson!" he repeated. "You can't risk that much on one Beybattle! Don't you know better than that?"

He had a point; agreeing to this would definitely be irresponsible. It wasn't that he hadn't done this before, but this seemed different somehow. It was just so important that he won against Robert…

As much as it seemed foolish (even Tyson knew it), in a way so was everything else they had planned. To win a war, you have to fight a few risky battles, like it or not. And sometimes, you have to suffer a few losses along the way.

Of course, Tyson wasn't ready to let that happen.

"Robert," he concluded, "you're on."

* * *

There ya go, chapter 22. Wow, this is getting kinda long. Ohwell, it just has to be like this. 

So…..uh…ya probably expected more from that…umm…well, I hope you liked it anyways! The next chaps are gonna be interesting, right? With these two events happening all such? And the tourney finally started up again? Yeah, we'll wait and see how this turns out…Hehehe…

Kai: What do you mean, "_we'll_ see how it turns out?"…? _You_ already know how it turns out…you're writing it…you've known how its going to turn out from the beginning...

Uh-huh, thanks for the reminder pal. So ya. Uh…please review, that would be grea, except no flames…but **PLEASE don't chew me out for taking absolutely forever to update**…as I mentioned before, I have no excuses for that except for the fact that I'm lazy and easily distracted.

Until next time (which will be much MUCH faster than this update), keep on blading, people. Byebye.


	23. Trust Broken

Hiya, people.

Hehehe…yes…I know what everyone is going to say…

Garrett: This is getting ridiculous, I want a pay rise for every week that you don't update…

I went on a couple of vacations between now and the time I updated in January, also I started a new semester at school and ended up with 3 subjects I wasn't supposed to get.

(Those are my pathetic excuses, ignore them; you deserve better than to be bombed with lame excuses from someone who is VERY thankful that you even tolerate her laziness.)

Man, I procrastinate like a…uh…can't think of a metaphor right now, my point is I'm a terrible procrastinator. I WANT to get it done. I WANT to update. I get angry at myself for not updating, and yet, I still go, "I'll do it next Saturday…no, next Saturday…next Saturday for sure…"

Started with this, then I started procrastinating with my homework, then my chores, and now its gotten to the point where I'm putting off other things like eating and sleeping.

Kai: You are messed up.

Me: …Shut up…

Garrett: Ridiculous…that's it, I'm out of here. See you whenever.

So here's the D-word…

**D-word: I do not **own Beyblade or anything to do with Beyblade. **I DO **own the plot of this fanfic and any characters that did not appear on the show or the manga. They are mine for ever and all eternity. Unless...nah, they're allmine.

So anyways, enjoy the chapter, please review, NO flames, thanks a lot for your time and especially patience…enjoy. Typos and general mess-ups should be ignored, I am a poor editor. You've heard enough from me up here. Enjoy.

* * *

Hiro hadn't calmed down by the time they reached the ground floor and left the elevator. Kenny and Max had somehow managed to bite their tongues, at least they tried to until they left the building; this was the largest BBA facility in the world and they had a reputation of maturity to uphold. Throwing an angry fit here of all places would surely taint that reputation. Of course right now that was the least of Hiro's concerns. Right now, he was infuriated and frustrated that Mr. Dickinson had made the decision to resume to the tournament on such short notice and without consulting anyone first. 

"Can't believe it…" he ranted on under his breath. "Just so unprofessional to just…just declare that out of nowhere…so irresponsible…and what the hell are we supposed to do about it! Prepare in a day? How can he expect us to prepare for an important battle with so little time!"

Even Kai was surprised by his immaturity. Sure, he had the right to be mad, they all did. It _was_ ridiculous. But instead of trying to get a grip on the situation, Hiro just ranted on like a child. Kai had seen Tyson react this way before; _many_ times before; but never the coach. Maybe it was a Granger thing. Hiro and Tyson were brothers, after all, although sometimes hard to believe.

Not that Kai cared, really. Hiro could deal with his anger however he liked as long as it didn't hurt him.

On their way to the exit, the boys were suddenly approached by a BBA employee. Clad in a dark-blue shirt and black vest, belt and pants, he was clearly a security guard or some other kind of security person.

Hiro groaned and pulled a card out of his pocket and held it up for him to see. "All-access pass" he announced. "We're allowed to be here. We had an appointment with the Chairman. We're leaving now."

"I know who you guys are…I'm not gonna cause you any trouble" the man said, "I'm just suggesting that you don't go out this way. To say the least, there's some commotion out at the front entrance."

"Commotion?" Kenny and Max asked.

"Yeah, _commotion_…anyways, there're emergency exits you can use just at the far end of this hall and to the right, if you boys don't mind…"

"What kind of _commotion_ are you talking about?" asked Kai with a seldom-shown curiosity.

"Well…I've been told not to spread the word. They're gonna try and take care of this quickly before he attracts too much attention. It would be better not to get involved."

"Before _who_ attracts too much attention?" asked Max. "What kind of a problem is it? Anything we can do to help?"

"No, maybe you guys should just leave" the guard said in agitation. "That's what I've been trying say nicely this whole time."

Kenny tapped Max on the shoulder to get his attention. "Max, what do you think is going on…?" he whispered.

"No clue, but I'm dying to know…", he answered quietly.

The man, about to continue his lecture, was suddenly interrupted by the buzzing of the two-way radio attached to his belt. _"Greg, we need you up here now…another emergency", _said the voice desperately on the other end, _"Something's wrong with the coffee maker…you're good at fixing stuff, right?"_

He replied into the radio, "Sure, I'll be up there in one minute…and warn me if you see any more sparks, alright?". He clipped the two-way radio back onto his belt and turned back to the Bladebreakers, who were just looking at him confusedly. "Damn trainees, they're gonna be the death of me…as for you guys…you should probably just scram. Your appointment is over, so you've no other reason stick around any longer. And don't even think about leaving through the front entrance, got it?"

* * *

People had begun to gather in a circle around Tyson and Robert. Fans always loved it when the pro bladers fought on the streets, because it was a rare chance to watch them demonstrate their renowned skills without having to pay for an admission ticket for an official tournament battle. The fans of all ages cheered them on. None of them could begin to imagine how important this Beybattle was to Tyson. 

He _had _to beat Robert.

So far, things were going Tyson's way. Though Robert seemed to have an advantage in the beginning, Tyson and Dragoon fought hard to gain the upper hand, and now they were determined to keep it.

Ray and Daichi watched the battle from the sidelines with everyone else, and Oliver watched from his table. The other two Majestics seemed uninterested; Enrique was preoccupied with his girl and Johnny just sat looking bored.

The Beyblades clashed again and again, creating small sparks each time. The crowd continued their cheering. Robert kept on the attack, but Tyson's Dragoon endured each blow. Once again, his hardcore training was paying off. He'd have to thank the Chief later.

Robert hadn't expected Tyson to put up such a fight; he knew now he'd need to use a stronger attack against Dragoon. Suddenly, he summoned Gryffoleon (a/n: not sure of the spelling of that but you know what I mean) from his Beyblade. The cheers quickly grew louder when the bird-lion creature emerged in a brilliant beam of violet light.

In turn Tyson called out his Dragoon. He did this without even saying the command out loud. His mind was completely focused, in tune with the battle, he almost felt one with the bit-beast.

"He's going to win this, for sure", Ray said suddenly. "Tyson is putting a lot of effort into this match, more even than usual, don't you think?"

"He's probably trying to redeem himself after Kai beat him so easily last night" said Daichi.

The two sacred spirits fought and exchanged attacks, all the while Tyson kept focused. He'd learned to shut out distractions like the crowds when he concentrated hard enough, though he very rarely put that much effort into concentration. Today, he did. Because he really needed to win this.

With a final Galaxy Storm attack, Dragoon overpowered Gryffoleon and defeated Robert.

* * *

Of course, they headed straight for the lobby to see what was going on outside the front entrance. 

And as they were told, there was definitely something going on, but _what_, they had no idea. A small crowd of people were gathered; their attention directed towards a man standing in front of them, talking (or rather _yelling_ through a megaphone which he held in one hand. He had a bunch of old papers in the other hand. For some reason a dog was lying lazily at his feet seeming unaware or uninterested in what was going on.

The boys recognized them, but couldn't quite recall who the man was; until Hiro heard him speak, and then he knew right away who he was.

"This," he announced, holding up the papers, "Is one of the few native newspapers that actually reported on the events! It was published two days after the destruction. Almost all the others were lost or probably destroyed."

Hiro gasped. "Sarge, what are you doing…"

"How do you expect me to believe any of _this_?" shouted a man in the audience. "You could have fabricated that newspaper yourself, easily."

"Oh, I have much more proof than just that…" the coach Sarge continued, "I have plenty of documents that talk of the burning of the BBA Tower I."

"Well you could have made up those, too."

"They're real. All of this is real. The reason nobody knows about it is because the BBA has done such a good job of covering it up They couldn't find a way to explain it, so they swept the entire thing under the rug. If people find out, they'd want more answers, answers to complicated questions that the BBA wouldn't be able to give them!"

That was all Hiro needed to hear to figure out exactly what was going on. He'd heard enough, and apparently so had the organization he was openly bashing; it seemed more and more security people were appearing outside. They hadn't done anything yet but appeared ready to if Sarge didn't quit soon. Hiro decided to make a move before they did. He ran up behind him and snatched the megaphone.

"What the heck do you think you're …" he began.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm doing" Sarge said assertively. "I'm doing what I'm supposed to. I'm telling them as it is, what happened last night, and what happened at the BBA Tower I years ago."

"You can't tell them. It's kept secret for a reason! Do you know what they'll think if they learn about Pharoas and the destruction of the tower?"

"They'll think, or really, they'll _know_ that the BBA is an organization of low liars, and that Pharoas and his team are dangerous people."

The other three present Bladebreakers moved closer to Sarge and Hiro to better hear their argument, since it was beginning to get a bit intense.

Hiro still tried to make Sarge understand his point. "And what exactly do you hope to achieve by making everything think that? How is it going to help anyone? People will be afraid, and people will be angered by the truth. Do you really want that? Sarge, you're going to ruin this tournament."

"Well the tournament hasn't been going that great to begin with, Hiro, in case you've forgotten!" Sarge argued vigorously. "Sure, everything may be going just great for you guys; you've won two matches already, one of them by default but a win nonetheless. And seeing how most of the other teams a short one person while you've got a full gang, the Bladebreakers have got a good chance of taking this tournament by storm."

"That isn't true", said Hiro, "We haven't got it any easier than you do. If only you knew how much trouble we've gotten ourselves into here…"

"At least you're all well! I have a member of my team missing, probably kidnapped, _and _my own son is in the hospital!"

The reminder made images of the poor, hurt boy Quinlan flash before Kai's eyes. _Hospitalized thanks to you_. He shook his head and took in a deep breath in an attempt to wipe those images and scornful words out of his mind.

"Enough is enough, Hiro, and it's gotten to that point where I'm not going to keep quiet anymore. I entered my team in this tournament for this sole reason. We would win, become the new world champions, and then I would break the news to everyone. The story sounds farfetched, I'm sure; but if anyone could convince the bladers, the fans and everyone else that this is what really happened at the BBA Tower I, and warn them about Thermolysis, it would be the world champions."

Kenny and Max listened attentively, while Kai was now absorbed in his own thoughts. Hiro finally backed down from arguing, and paid attention to what Sarge had to say.

Because he was starting to make sense.

"Now, I know that The Barbarians just aren't cut out for a tournament of this calibre and that we can't win no matter how hard we try", he continued. "You guys of all people would know that no matter how far somebody bends the rules or tries to cheat, when it comes right down to it, the better Beyblader always wins the Beybattle. We just can't beat bladers like you. So, right now I'm just doing what I can to tell the people what they deserve to know. Pharoas, Thermolysis, the Fusion Blade, The Thrashers…all that stuff."

He paused and took a closer look at his surroundings. Sarge suddenly became aware of all the guards who were eyeing him suspiciously, talking into their radios and with each other. Then he noticed that his group of spectators was getting smaller; they too were noticing the tough-looking security guards and left before anything happened.

"…Do you think I'm going to get in trouble?" asked Sarge.

"I'm don't know, but they don't look too happy about what you're doing, that's for sure…" Max answered worriedly.

"…Darn it, I barely got to say anything yet." Though Sarge didn't sound too concerned.

Just then, two of the guards started walking towards them.

"Well…there's always next time…" Sarge picked up the black leash that was clipped to his dog's collar. The dog yawned, got up and stretched its legs then sat back down beside his owned. "Nice seeing you guys, anyways" Sarge said sarcastically, "But I think I'd better get out of here, _now_."

"Sir, could we have a talk with you for a sec?" one of the guards asked.

"We'd better leave now…" Kenny said nervously. "Let's get out of here before something happens, please…"

"Don't worry, I'm done here, and I'm gonna leave now" Sarge said quickly, before turning to walk away and intentionally dropping the megaphone.

"Not quite yet, you're not." The second guard said bitterly, appearing in front of him.

"Uh-oh…_come on_ guys…" Kenny repeated urgently.

Then, without any warning, Sarge shoved the end of the leash into Kenny's hands and made a run for it, with his papers tucked under one arm. The two guards yelled and gave chase. Two more joined in. Sarge bolted to the end of the parking lot and turned left down the sidewalk. The remaining security men all spoke harshly into their two-way radios.

Kenny was startled when the dog started barking wildly, and he dropped his end of the leash. Sarge's pet then scampered off after them barking like a maniac.

The boys remained standing in the middle of the cement lot in front of the Tower, not saying anything for a long time.

Kenny, Kai and Max still didn't really know who this guy was, only that he knew a lot about the rules of this tournament (and how to get around them), and that somehow knew all about this supposedly secret information that he was bent on sharing it with everyone. It was very…strange, to say the least.

While Hiro, who disagreed completely with Sarge at the beginning of this argument, was once again unsure about what he thought was the right thing to do. _"If anyone could convince the bladers, the fans and everyone else that this is what really happened at the BBA Tower I, and warn them about Thermolysis, it would be the world champions."_

He was totally right when he said that. Hiro knew it. The Bladebreakers all knew it. From the moment they became world champions, lots of people started looking up to them. A lot of their fans were impressionable kids and young adults like themselves. And if one of them told their fans something that seemed a bit ridiculous, the fans would probably believe them anyways. Some of them were so dedicated and trusting, Tyson could tell them that the sun was blue and they'd still probably look up and see for themselves, no matter how absurd it sounds.

He thought about it for some time, until their leader had seen enough and motioned for them to leave.

* * *

The crowd of spectators had left. The other Majestics and Bladebreakers had left, but Robert stayed behind to talk with Tyson. He and Robert sat outside the same café as before at the pretty glass table. 

"I can call my pilot tonight, and arrange to have him pick you up at the nearest airport" Robert explained, not pleased with having to do this. "If you can tell him where you're going, he'll take you there. You aren't planning on travelling far, are you?"

"Nope, no very far at all" answered Tyson.

"How much luggage do you plan on taking with you?"

"None. It's a day trip."

"I see…", But Robert didn't sound convinced. "Tyson…I'm doing you a huge favour by lending you a jet plane. Whether we had a deal or not, it's still generous of me to even consider letting you borrow it."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Listen, Tyson. I'll say it straight; I'm not letting you use it unless you give me an explanation."

"That wasn't part of the deal!" Tyson rose from his seat angrily.

"The Majestics want to know what's going on around here; everyone does! First of all, where are you going?"

Tyson refused to tell him, but Robert refused to let him use the jet unless he did. Eventually, Tyson submitted and told him that they were going to a very small island not far from Hawaii. Robert asked why. Tyson tried to say no, but again, Robert blackmailed him into giving him answers.

There was no point in lying to him. Robert was mature and responsible; he'd handle the truth. So Tyson told him everything he knew about Pharoas, about Thermolysis, and about the BBA.

But it still took some time for the truth to really set in. When it did, Robert's impression of Tyson changed quite a bit.

"That's quite the noble thing you and the others are doing…" he said.

"Just don't tell anyone else, except for your team mates" Tyson repeated. "We're not supposed to be telling anyone about Thermolysis. It's supposed to be completely confidential."

"Secret's safe with us".

* * *

Tyson retuned to the hotel as soon as night fell, just like Hiro had suggested the previous day. They needed their rest now more than ever. After a full day of training, he wasn't going to complain about being sent to bed a bit early. 

Hopefully Daichi and Ray listened to his advice, too, but Tyson wasn't sure. Daichi had left him alone a while ago (after raiding the mini-bar in Tyson's room of course). The unofficial fifth Bladebreaker was staying in Hilary's room for now. Normally her quarters were off-limits to anyone else on the team, but she wasn't here to object, so nobody saw the harm in letting him stay there for now. But knowing Daichi, he probably would've snooped through all her stuff by now…

Normally Tyson would find that funny. But today, it made him feel a bit sad. As much as he hated to admit it, he missed not having Hilary around. He wasn't really sure _what_ he missed; they just bickered most of the time anyways; but things weren't the same without her.

As for Ray, he chose not to come back with he and Daichi. He said there was some other matter he needed to attend to, but it wouldn't take long, and that it was pretty important; but he wasn't specific, so Tyson had no clue where he was or what he was up to. But he didn't worry. Ray was responsible enough to take care of himself on his own, and besides, this was none of Tyson's business.

Tyson was lying down on his bed, pondering about what the next day might go like. Constantly he glanced to his white Dragoon Beyblade, for no particular reason. The blade was sitting stationary on the desk at the other end of the room.

The TV was on, but Tyson wasn't really watching anything. He just scrolled through the different channels with the remote control, looking for something decent to watch. But nothing really appealed to him tonight. Not even his favourite talk show could distract him from his own thoughts.

He'd even forgotten about the silver artefact he still wore on his forearm. He'd grown accustomed to it; it was kind of like a secret weapon. Because as long as he had this, no other blader could actually harness Thermolysis' strength. Even though the ancient Bit-Beast had been released, he still couldn't be controlled by a Beyblader. And from what Tyson had seen last night…they were _very_ lucky that Thermolysis didn't have a partner to aide him.

He was thankful for this, but he couldn't comprehend _why_ exactly. He didn't understand the connection between the Fusion Blade and the Bit-Beast that inhabited it. Tyson had seen it all happen first hand. Somehow, when he had inserted Dragoon's bit chip into that blade and wore the silver armband, he was able to control his Bit-Beast in a way he's never imagined possible. He released Dragoon from the Beyblade. It appeared right before him, a true, living Dragoon.

This seemed to be the exact same thing that happened when Pharoas used the Fusion Blade at the first BBA world championships. Only when he did it, they wreaked total havoc.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard a sound that snapped his mind back to reality. The noise wasn't coming from inside his room or the hall; it was a loud thud and it could only have came from outside.

He stared out the sliding glass door that lead to the balcony. Of course, there was nobody out there; the only way would be to go through the door in his room, and he was the only person there. After watching for a minute and seeing nothing, Tyson went back to daydreaming. Maybe it had just been a daydream, too.

But then he heard another noise, and this time, he was certain of it. He got up and warily, pulled open the door and walked onto the balcony. It's normal to hear odd noises while staying at a hotel, and considering that this particular hotel was hosting a very wide variety of mostly teenage Beybladers, it was to be expected. When you start hearing noises in your own room when you're presumably alone…that's when it's time to investigate.

But nothing seemed out of the ordinary outside, either. Despite all the havoc from last night, the city was still lively. Tyson leaned lazily on the iron ledge and gazed out over the city, and beyond that, the ocean. To think, tomorrow, he'd be flying over the sea, all over again.

The air outside was cool, so Tyson turned back into his room after a couple of minutes.

And there she was, standing in the middle of the room, looking back at him with the same sad green eyes as she always had.

* * *

At first neither of them spoke a word. They didn't know _what_ to say. The situation was just…awkward. The previous night, Raine hadn't done anything to help him, didn't say anything, didn't even make eye contact with him. And she decided to show up now, of all places, at all times hours before Tyson's plan. 

"Raine…what the…?" Tyson was completely dumbfounded. "…For starters, how the _heck_ did you get in here!"

"Tyson, we need to talk…" Raine said shyly, ignoring his question. "I'm sorry I had to come here without warning…but this is important…you'd probably like to know exactly what happened last night, am I right?"

"Yes…" Tyson said with a sigh of relief. "Thank you Raine…you had me kind of worried back there. I wasn't sure who's side you were on, when Garrett and I were battling…"

She looked down at the floor, like his comment seemed to bother her. "It's complicated, Tyson. I had to do it…Garrett threatened to tell the coach about me helping you out, and that bad things would happen to the bladers he has in custody…I didn't have a choice."

"Hey, don't worry about it", he said with a smile. "Garrett is a jerk. I'd like to show him…when he gets pitted against _me_ in a _real_ battle, he'll regret the day he first picked up a blade. What a coward…you should have been there to see him, last night, at the Tower Ruins…he got exhausted after trying to outrun me and Daichi, and by the time we got there, he didn't even have the strength left in him to stand…"

"…You really shouldn't so many bad things about him…" Raine added shyly. "He hates it when people talk to him like that…"

"Why not? I'm not the least bit afraid of him. Is he going to come after me for talking behind his back?"

"No…he just doesn't like it, that's all. It just seems to bother him a lot."

"Come on, don't tell me you're got any sympathy for the guy!" laughed Tyson. "Raine, he doesn't deserve it. This is _Garrett_ I'm talking about here. You know, one of the bad guys? So what if he doesn't like people saying nasty things about him? Nobody does, but he deserves it."

"I guess…maybe you're right." For a moment she lost her train of thought, and paused. "I'm just sorry about everything, really…but…that's not really why I'm here. I have a favour to ask of you, something important."

"That's no problem, because I need a favour as well", explained Tyson. "We've finally got a plan. But we could really use your help."

_Uh-oh._ "…What kind of a plan?" she asked.

"We're going back to the island, me and my team mates; and this time, we're bringing all the other imprisoned people back here with us!"

This time it was Raine who was totally taken aback. "What! Tyson, no! Things have change _a lot_ since the last time you were there; there is absolutely no way I could fix something like that ever again!"

"No, listen; I've got arrangements made to get there and back, that part is taken care of. I know my way around there now, so I can be more careful this time around. But we I still need your help. I need you to do anything and everything you can to keep attention away from us!"

"Tyson, do you have any idea how many people work there, and how many are specifically assigned making sure people like you _don't_ pull off something like _this_?"

"There didn't seem to be many people there the last time…"

"Because we caught them off guard last time. The man in charge of the place, Mendoza, was pretty humiliated the last time; he wouldn't fall for it again. Trying to sneak into the island facility now…would be near impossible…"

"But with your help, we could do this."

"…I…" She stuttered, feverously trying to come up with a reply. She needed something of his, and if the only way was to say what he wanted to hear…

"You're right. There is one way I could distract them for long enough; I could probably even trick Garrett into helping. Just maybe this _is_ possible, Tyson…"

"Of course it is!" Tyson said boldly. "This plan _has_ to work. I don't think there's any other way…it _has_ to go well…"

"Yes…everything will work out…" Raine said unsurely. "Tyson, I need a favour from you, too…now, listen…" Again, that voice from the back or her mind was telling her to stop. She just couldn't shut it out, hard as she tried, and it was beginning to become a nuisance…damn conscience…_I'm doing what's right…_

"The silver armband. The second artifact; I need you to give it to me…"

Suddenly, Tyson's positive expression changed completely. "…That's an odd request…" he said confusedly, "Weren't you the one who wanted me to keep this in the first place?"

…_Darn._

Raine hoped that he wouldn't ask questions, that if she'd agreed to aide him, he would have no problem with aiding her. Wasn't that common courtesy anyways? She couldn't tell Tyson why she needed it…even if she did, he wouldn't believe her…

"I need you to give it to me…to keep it away from Garrett…"

"I can keep it safe from him. Don't even worry about that. I wouldn't let him lay a finger on it if…"

"No, you don't understand, he won't blackmail you like last time. He'll simply take it. Garrett is a thief! You _know_ that he's a thief; he'll take the artifact when your back is turned, just as he did when he took your friend's laptop!"

At first, the explanation sounded reasonable. But it had flaws, flaws that Tyson luckily caught onto…

"Raine…how long have you known about the missing laptop?"

"…Since Garrett took it…"

"Then why didn't you tell _me _about it? And why didn't you try to get it back?"

"I don't know…"

"Why didn't you tell me that Garrett has it! My pal really needs that laptop! It isn't a regular laptop, it's important!"

"I know…I'm sorry…". She turned away. "I should have told you, but I didn't think much of it at the time; there were so many other things going on."

Why wouldn't she just look him in the eye? Why did she turn away whenever he accused her?

The way things stood, he needed to trust her; but by the way she was acting…and the way she'd acted the night before, not doing a thing to help him…should he? Tyson felt torn. He wanted to trust her, he really did. But would it be right, or was she just as bad as her team-mates?

…No.

No, she'd already proved that she wasn't like them. She'd helped him more than once, even turned her back on her own team for his cause. Was it right to put the safety of his friends in the hands of someone else? But he couldn't just sit here pondering all night long.

"Raine", he said sternly, "Do you promise…that you'll help us? Do you swear?"

"Of course!" she quickly added, surprised by the seriousness in his voice. "………You don't trust me?"

"No, Raine. That's not it_. I _trust you…but my friends don't. Daichi and Ray don't even know you." Putting this must trust in someone under the circumstances was dangerous enough. Putting his friends in danger was ten times worse. But, he really didn't have a choice.

Finally, he decided that this was the best thing to do. He and Raine shook hands for closure and he explained his plans to her one last time. Then, Tyson handed over the silver armband. Raine quickly stowed it.

"There is just one last thing that I want to ask you," Tyson said, "About last night. Do you know _anything_ about it that I might not know? I was there, and I saw it all happen, but there's still a lot that I don't understand. What happened to Thermolysis?"

_What happened to Thermolysis. _She knew that he was going to ask something like that, and she already knew how to respond, but somehow she still tensed up when he did.

"I don't know any more than you do, Tyson. From what Garrett and the others told me, neither do they. If I find anything about it I'll tell you right away."

"Alright. Thanks." Suddenly, he smiled. "This is good. We're finally fighting back against Pharoas. After all he's done, it feels great to know that soon, we'll have the upper hand!"

Raine nodded in response and smiled back. "They won't see it coming."

She left him, and Tyson went to bed feeling much more reassured than before. _We're finally fighting back. I'm finally going to rescue the other Beybladers like I promised. _And with the help of his friends, Daichi, Ray and Raine, he really believed they could actually pull it off.

Early the next day, Tyson and two team mates arrived the airport by taxi. Their plane carried them off the island of Hawaii ten minutes later. They didn't look back.

* * *

Although Raine had told him different, Tyson did not notice anything different about the place at first. There didn't appear to be any supposed stepped-up security. He expected to be greeted by locks, alarms and surveillance cameras at the door from the landing pad. But it wasn't so. 

In fact, the door wasn't even _locked_.

Perhaps everything she had warned him of was inside the building.

But again, nothing appeared different.

The lengthy white hallway seemed to be exactly as Tyson had left it; completely unadorned and empty in both directions. There was not a single person standing guard, not even any cameras like she's suggested there may be.

This was all a bit strange, but Tyson didn't let it bother him. Actually, he took reassurance from it. These were all positive signs. The fewer signs of life, the better. Demitri and the other people who worked beneath Mendoza were obviously preoccupied; exactly as Raine said they would be.

Tyson wondered, to what extent would this distraction have to be? He couldn't begin to imagine what Raine must've done to keep them all diverted…

Not that this bothered him at all, either. Raine was a very mysterious person; there was no telling what she was capable of doing, and right now, Tyson was thankful for it.

Daichi and Ray warily followed Tyson's lead into the building. They too were surprised. The island facility was a large, unkempt building unlike most of the other numerous 'bases' they'd seen. The huge BEGA building was a clean, high-tech, pristine place; even Balkov Abbey was decent-looking place. This place was just a ugly building on an island in the middle of nowhere. Maybe that was why Pharoas chose it. It was small, secluded, and even if someone did happen to notice it while flying overhead, they wouldn't bother to take a second glance.

"So…where the heck is everyone?" Daichi asked, unimpressed.

"How should I know?" replied Tyson, "Just be thankful that they're somewhere we're not right now. What do you guys think? This is the place, the notorious island facility-place…"

"It wasn't build for aesthetics, that's for sure…seriously, though…what kind of place is this?"

"I'm not really sure…" Tyson explained. "I know for sure that this is where they're keeping hostages, though. I ended up in a room where a bunch of old documents were stored, last time. Old Beyblade stuff, and an entire folder of articles on Thermolysis." Tyson pointed to one of two doors at the right end of the hallway. "The room was down there."

Ray squinted to read the message that was still posted on the door. "…What the heck does 'nay' mean?"

"Huh?"

"'Nay'. It reads 'DO NAY ENTER' on that sign. I don't get it…"

Tyson thought for a moment. "I think…Demitri probably posted that. He's one of the guys who works here. He pilots their copter. From the time I met up with him I learned two things; he talks to much and speaks _really_ poor English. It's safe to assume that the language is probably a new thing to him."

"Hehehe…I'd like to hear that!" laughed Daichi. "I bet he even …"

"Shut up, Daichi!" Tyson said sternly. "We're here on a mission. No fooling around. I know it's a hard adjustment for you to make, Daichi, but…"

"Hey, you're the one who brought it up!" Daichi objected teasingly.

"Actually, Ray is the one who asked about the sign in the first place" he corrected.

"…Could we just get on with this, please?" asked Ray. "I only want to stay here only for as long as we have to. I don't get a good vibe from this place. Something about this whole thing is just…not right. I just have a really bad feeling about how easily we got in here and I want to get out soon as possible."

"Yeah, I agree with Ray on this one" said Daichi. "The island creeps me out. Even this hallway creeps me out. It's so plain and bright and unwelcoming…gives off that whole evil-laboratory-testing impression… "

"No" their leader disagreed immediately.

"What _does_ it remind you of, then?" asked the other two.

"I wasn't sure at first…but now I think…it's like a hospital."

"Hospital? What's so bad about that? You weren't a sick kid, so then why would you not like hospitals?"

"…It's nothing, really. Let's just go." Tyson turned his back to them and guided down the left end of the disputed-reasons-for-its-creepiness hall.

"I don't think Tyson wants to talk about it right now" whispered Ray. Daichi just frowned curiously.

"The room where I last found the prisoners is this way, through a door and down some stairs" Tyson directed, suddenly sounding more solemn. "If one of you guys sees a camera, take your blade and shoot it. Actually, you should probably just take out your Beyblades now in case. I used Dragoon to bust a door lock last time and I was lucky that I did. Just be prepared for anything."

"Tyson's suddenly transformed into his brother…" Daichi said whispered.

* * *

Without further questioning Daichi and Ray followed Tyson's lead farther into the building, and further away from the only exit he knew of. Finding the steel-doored entrance to the prisoners' cells was easy; Tyson had been re-tracing his steps in his mind all night long and knew exactly where to lead them. And still, no sign of Demitri or any of the other people who were supposed to be looking to make sure he didn't get this far, making it even simpler. 

But he still half expected the automatic steel door to at be locked seeing how important it was, and for the first time, he was right. An iron chain and a lock bound the handles together and the motion-sensing mechanism was gone. Before he could take out Dragoon, a grey blade flew from behind and hit the lock directly, breaking it open with just one strike. Tyson picked up the blade and handed it back to Ray.

"That was a wicked shot, Ray!" he commented. "It took me three tries to bust a door open when I tried last time…you must have been practicing a lot."

"Well, yeah…I've tried to practice at least once every day while we've been here, like we used to do back home…thanks" he replied. "So anyways…what is this place?"

"Here", explained Tyson, "Is where our friends are being kept. It makes me sick…it's just a tiny, dark room with iron bars like a prison…I can't wait to get them out of here. I'm going down there. One of you two should stay here and watch out for anyone…"

"Tyson, I don't think…" Ray objected apprehensively, "I really don't think this is a good idea…I don't like this at all."

Tyson frowned confusedly. "Why not?"

"This is easy; _way_ too easy, and this wasn't supposed to be straightforward at all."

"So, why are you complaining then? You're the one who said that you wanted to get in and out of here quickly!"

"I did say that…but that's not the point, Tyson. The point is that they wouldn't just let us walk in here. These are the same people who somehow outsmarted everyone they kidnapped! Think about it; they're not this stupid! The entire Barthez Battalion team; all smart, all athletic, all captured. Brad Best is a grown man, plus, he's probably surrounded by security personnel all the time, and still they got him too. Lee is incredibly attentive, and believe me, he can defend himself. _All_ these people and more, Tyson! They just wouldn't let us get away with this so easily…not these people, and not at a time like this."

"You just don't get it; _this_ is how we want it to work out! This is according to planned, and I'm only gonna say it once more! Just forget about it, if it makes you feel any better…" Tyson sighed and shook his head in annoyance.

"I just…feel like we're being naïve, Tyson, that's all." Then he kicked the door open, and held it open for Tyson and Daichi. "I'll stay up here. You two take care of the prisoners, alright?"

They nodded, and proceeded down the stairs. Ray closed the door behind them. So far, so good.

* * *

Tyson and Daichi hurried down to the chamber, eager to finally see their friends again. After seeing how badly they'd been treated last time, Tyson was very concerned for their safety here. What had happened since then? What kind of shape would they be in? Although it had not been that long ago since he'd last spoken to them, to him, it seemed like weeks. 

Daichi was also a bit apprehensive about what they were about to see. There was still much the other Bladebreakers hadn't told him about the situation; he was left in the dark for the most part, which was annoying and confusing for someone curious as him. But Daichi still helped anyways, driven by his desire to be part of the team.

Finally, Tyson skipped the last three steps in one jump and landed on the stone floor, looked forward expecting the worse…

…But instead saw no one.

There wasn't a single person behind bars, or anywhere else in the room. There was no trace that the captives were ever there. It was completely empty.

Tyson stopped dead in his tracks, causing Daichi to bump into him when he ran downstairs. Tyson kept his balance, barely even noticing him, and Daichi fell backwards onto the steps.

"Watch it, Tyson! What the heck are you trying to…" He got up and took a quick glance around the almost vacant room. "…Where is everyone?"

Tyson didn't reply. He just stared forwards wide-eyed.

"…Tyson? What? What's going on?"

Then Daichi saw what Tyson was staring at.

The opposite wall had something spray-painted on it in large, messy white letters. They weren't there last time; and the paint was clearly still wet, running down the wall in places.

"Daichi…", Tyson stuttered. "I think…Ray was right…"

Just three words that boldly declared,

'_NICE TRY, BLADEBREAKERS_'

"We've got to get out of here, now…"

But before he could say another word, they heard the door jerk open and light poured into the room. Then three people suddenly appeared in the chamber. Tyson was struck in the upper back before he could turn to see what was happening. It knocked the wind from him and he fell to his knees gasping for breath.

Then someone stepped on his back, forcing him down on his chest.

Hearing Daichi yell and curse, he painfully turned his head to look; Daichi was struggling to free himself from the arms of a man more than twice his size, but clearly, there was no escape from him. A third person, recognizably the man Demitri, was fumbling through a ring of keys. He picked out an old grey one and used it to open the locked door of the prison cell.

It was all happening, so quickly right before his eyes , and there was nothing Tyson could do about it.

The person took their foot off his back for only a moment of relief before kicking him hard in the side. Tyson winced in pain.

"It isn't very nice to talk about people behind their backs, Tyson" They said slyly. "Didn't you parents ever teach you basic things like that? Not that it really matters…nobody's going to hear anything from you for a while now."

Tyson recognized his voice right away and cringed. _Not him, not now_…

Two more men appeared at Tyson's sides, and they each took hold of one of his arms then dragged him towards the cell. He didn't bother trying to fight them; he was still trying to catch his breath and grasp what was happening.

"After you, Tys-sin…" Demitri teased, holding the cell entrance open like a doorman. "Do you like the dark? We all are hoping you like the dark, because here dark much different than spotlight, and you won't be there again in long time…"

"Shut up, Demitri, you're giving me a headache." Tyson's captor ordered. The men carelessly threw Tyson into the prison, then Daichi. They promptly shut the door.

Staring back at them smugly was Garrett.

For a moment, Tyson wondered if Ray had seen them coming and managed to get away. But that hope was quickly speared when two more people entered carrying an unconscious raven-haired blader, and threw him in the cage-like jail with his team mates.

"Until we decide what to do with you, you're all very welcome to stay down here", Garrett said, still wearing an ugly smile. The others left the room.

"…Let us out of here!" Tyson yelled.

"Yeah, right." Garrett replied arrogantly.

Tyson stood up, partially still in shock over what has just happened so quickly. "Garrett, where is everyone!"

"I'd quit worrying about _them_ and start worrying about what's going to happen to _me_, if I were you."

"Garrett!" But he was already on his way out of the room. "How did you know…?"

"You still don't realise how I learned all about your plans? Are you really that stupid! Obviously, you haven't learned a single thing from your team captain, Kai. Everyone knows that his philosophy is, 'the only person you can trust is your own self', am I right?"

Yes. Tyson knew. He knew very well where everything had gone wrong. His mistake had dawned on him as soon as he saw the words painted on the wall. But…Tyson just didn't want to believe it.

"You put too much trust in another person, Tyson, and now you're all going to pay for it. All three of you, and all your other captive friends."

Garrett mocked them one more time by waving goodbye before he left imprisoned Tyson, Daichi and still-unconscious Ray alone.

He'd screwed up.

He'd failed.

Tyson couldn't believe what was happening.

* * *

Hehehe, so that's how it ends for this chapter. Lame cliffy, nobody likes cliffys, I know, I can't help it, they're fun to write. 

So yeah…next one will be posted as soon as I'm done it, let's hope to god that it doesn't take so flippin long. Seriously, I WANT to get it done faster. My procrastination is starting to tick me off and I'll hopefully beat it this time…

In the mean time, finish what you've started, people…if you start a fic don't abandon it half-way through for ANY reason, unless something seriously important comes up…'I've lost interest' is not an excuse and I'm very tired of people doing that. Happens a lot with the good Beyblade fics, and pretty much every other kind of fic too. Please, don't do it. It stresses me out for some reason…

Anyways…please review, but no flames and once again please do not slaughter me for taking forever to update. Please. PLEASE REVIEW. NO MEAN STUFF.

And I am seriously thankful that anyone is reading this anyways, and seriously sorry for long update times and I will try hard not to let my bad habits win again. SERIOUSLY. It means a lot to me that you're even reading this sentence.

Seeya soon (hopefully), keep on blading. Byes.


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